“It was always brought up that we should do some kind of memorial,†said Denver Blanscett, the five-term past commander of the American Legion George S. Berry Post 575 and Auxiliary, and director of the project. “I took it upon myself and went to the Parks and Recreation director. He proposed a memorial park. It was at the same time that Civic Lubbock Inc. was doing a Freedom Fountain, and he said it would be perfect. I brought the idea back to the Board, and it was approved.â€
The sole function of the memorial is to commemorate veterans from the South Plains who were killed in action during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. In all, the landmark dedication encompasses 18 counties around Lubbock.