Delaware's War Memorials

Delaware Memorial Bridge

Happy Memorial Day. In honor of this day, I scoured the length and breadth of Delaware looking for all the war memorials I could find. Here they are in order of the wars they memorialize. I am sure that I missed some, so please comment below and tell me where they are so I can make this list complete.

This is the African American Medal of Honor Memorial. What is so wonderful about this one is that it honors all African American winners, not just those from Delaware. It lists every one starting from the Civil War through today. It is located in Brandywine Park, Wilmington.

The Todd Memorial, honoring the men and women from Delaware who fought in World War One. It is located in Brandywine Park, Wilmington.

This World War One memorial is in Dover.

Memorial Hall at the University of Delaware was built to honor the men and women of Delaware who lost their lives in the First World War. In the beautiful rotunda, there are four plaques listing all the names. There is also a book with each page inscribed with one of the names. Each day, a member of the ROTC comes and turns the page.

Delaware's greatest war memorial monument is a bridge, the Delaware Memorial Bridge. At the base of that bridge is the War Memorial Plaza. The bridge was originally built to honor those who lost their lives in the Second World War, but the Plaza now has monuments for every war fought since then. This is a lovely and quiet place, with fleeting glimpses of the bridge through the trees.

The Delaware War Veterans Memorial in Dover honors all who have fought since World War Two.

This World War Two memorial stands in Dover.

The Vietnam Memorial, honoring the men and women from Delaware who fought in Vietnam. It is located in Brandywine Park, Wilmington.

Kent County Veterans Memorial Park is interesting. It is filled with really unusual monuments, most of them about Vietnam. They day I visited, a ceremony of some kind was taking place for newly released soldiers, all of whom are suffering from PTSD. Each one of them had a service dog and to watch them interact with their animals and with each other was truly moving. If you go out of your way to see one of these places, see this one right outside Dover.

This memorial honors all the women from Delaware who have fought and died. I preferred this side which shows how women are continuing to serve and how their roles are increasing across the military. It is in Dover.

There are two Delaware Veteran's Memorial Cemeteries, one in Bear and one in Millsboro. Both are very lovely and, because it is Memorial Day weekend, every grave has a flag on it.

The sheer number of Delaware veterans buried in these two cemeteries is awe inspiring. There are a lot of local men and women who have answered the call.

I hope you will take some time today to remember those who gave up their lives so that we can have a day on the beach. These memorials are a good way to honor them.

Then, enjoy your day and Happy Summer!