FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- It's a place for veterans to reflect on their past, to pay homage to their comrades who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and where new Soldiers learn about their regiment and what it really means to be a Soldier. Fort Leonard Wood's Memorial Park complex has recently been renovated to interlock the Chemical, Engineer and Military Police schools on post.
"It's kind of what you see in the larger picture of Fort Leonard Wood as a whole. There are three separate regiments, but we all are part of the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence. I think this is a great example of the three schools working together," said Troy Morgan, Engineer Museum director.
The improvements pulled the three existing memorials together with a central alley effect sidewalk -- the Veterans' Memorial being the central hub.
"Near the Veterans' Memorial, an area for displaying the state flags was built. The project also added a 60-car parking lot off of Nebraska venue with a brick sign identifying Memorial Park. South of Pine Street, we added a 19-car parking lot," said Dan James, Directorate of Public Works landscape architect. "Also, a small pavilion was added with tables to give users a rest area. The area was landscaped with berms and numerous trees and shrubs."
Morgan said the composition of Fort Leonard Wood's Memorial Park has been years in the making.
"The Military Police and Chemical Groves were actually moved up here from Fort McClellan, Ala., so they would have a space when the Soldiers enter the regiments -- this is where they come for that right of passage," Morgan said. "The monuments for earlier conflicts used to be located over by the hospital. There was no parking over there, so now it gets used a lot more."
Morgan is fond of the way all the memorials are now tied together.
"You can go from one place to another in a direct line of sight. There are a lot of quiet places for reflection, like the benches and the pavilion," Morgan said. "It's hard to walk this space and not get choked up. It's very common for us to come out here and see veterans sitting down, and to be teary-eyed because of what this space represents."
The Memorial Park is more than plaques and stone to Morgan.
"There are a lot of things out here that really tie the Soldiers and veterans to their heritage and make us part of a bigger thing," he said.
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