Westchester Veterans Memorial: Trail of Honor
My latest adventure to honor our nation's heroes has taken me to the Lasdon Park, Westchester Veterans Memorial – Trail of Honor in Katonah, New York. This area includes several memorials, dedicated to those who haves served our nation throughout history.
One of the parks most stunning pieces is the Westchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Commissioned in 1987 and designed by artist Julia Cohen, the sculpture comprises three, seven foot bronze statues depicting a soldier carrying a wounded comrade and a nurse reaching out to help them. Next to the sculpture is a stone with the names of eight nurses that were killed in the Vietnam War. Also found in this spot is an obelisk with an inscription of names of Westchester servicemen that lost their lives in Vietnam.
The photo gallery above shows the Vietnam Veterans Memorial sculpture, Nurses of Vietnam stone, and the obelisk listing the names of the fallen.
My favorite part of the Trail of Honor is a series of 12 sculptures that represent every major American Military conflict, dating from the Revolutionary War through operation Desert Storm. The sculptures are copies of originals that were rendered by the late artist Nils Anderson while he was a patient at the FDR Veterans Administration Hospital in Montrose, NY.
You can view all 12 sculptures in the photo gallery above.
A Korean War Veterans Memorial can be found along the trail and serves as a tribute to all Westchester residents who served in America’s “Forgotten War.” A second monument nearby lists the names of Westchester service members who lost their lives during the conflict.
The first photo in this gallery is the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the second is the monument listing the names of Westchester casualties from the conflict.
Lastly, the Trail of Honor includes a Merchant Marine Memorial. The marker's in this area are dedicated to the Merchant Mariners who have faithfully served our nation since 1775.
Both photos above are a part of the Merchant Marine Memorial.
A trip to Lasdon Park to visit the incredible Trail of Honor is not complete without stopping by the Westchester County Veterans Museum. The museum includes exhibits, photographs, historical uniforms, weapons, documents, and other military memorabilia.
This gallery contains two photos that I took from my visit to the museum. The first is a mannequin in a full U.S. World War I uniform and the second is a Vickers machine gun, which was widely used in the First World War.
Nothing brings a smile to my face more than going to a place where our heroes are properly honored. That is certainly the case with the Trail of Honor found at Lasdon Park in Katonah, NY. Regardless of where you live, I hope you have the opportunity to visit as many places of tribute as possible.