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OHIO VETERANS’ MEMORIAL PARK

A Living Tribute to All Veterans

The Ohio Veteran’s Memorial Park opened in May of 2009 with the dedication of a 125 foot long, polished black granite wall with the names of the 3,095 Ohioans lost during the Vietnam War.  Since then, OVMP has added the names of all Ohioans who have given their lives during the War on Terror – including the Beirut Bombing. 

The Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park is constructed of many monuments honoring our Heroes. The flag-ship of the park is the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall. The west side of the one hundred and twenty five foot long, polished black granite wall contains the names of the 3,095 Ohioans who gave their lives in service to our nation during the Vietnam War. It is the longest free-standing monument in the nation. The west side of the wall is engraved with all of the conflicts that Ohio has been involved with, since the War of 1812. All of the photos on this section of the wall was engraved with actual photos of the wars with the exception of 1812. (There were no cameras). This side of the wall also contains the names of Ohio’s Heroes since the Bombing of Beirut.

OTHER FACTS ABOUT THE MONUMENTS

  • It is the longest free-standing monument in the country.
  • The POW / MIA Reflection Pond is the largest POW memorial in the State of Ohio.
  • Our Gold Star Father statue is the first of its kind in the nation.
  • The granite that the wall is made from is quarried from the same site as the National wall.
  • The wall behind the POW/MIA Pond is designed to in the spirit of the National wall.
  • The Gold Star Mother Statue, that was dedicated to Sharon Lane’s mother, the only female from Ohio killed during combat in the Vietnam War, stares at Sharon’s name on the wall. This was not planned.

OVMP is dedicated to honoring all veterans from all wars and in peace, remembering their sacrifices for our freedom and safety, and celebrating their lives.  The park is made up of numerous monuments and displays, which include:

  • The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
  • The Purple Heart Monument
  • POW/MIA Reflecting Pond/Eternal Flame
  • Cobra AH-1F Display
  • Gold Star Mother’s and Father’s Statues
  • Family of Heroes Hall
  • M6o Patton Tank Display
The Ohio Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall

“As long as a man’s name is remembered, he will never be forgotten.”

The west side of the wall is engraved with the names of the 3,095 Ohioans who gave their lives in service to our nation during the Vietnam War. The east side of the wall contains those who gave their lives since the Beirut Bombing up until the current date. The wall will soon contain the names of those lost during the Korean War. It is our mission to make sure that the sacrifices of our Heroes will not be forgotten for generations to come.

The Purple Heart Monument

In June of 2013, The Purple Hear Monument was added to the Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park.  This memorial is dedicated to all of those who served honorably and were wounded in service to our nation. 

The Purple Heart was originally established by General George Washington at Newburgh, 7 August 1782, during The War of the Revolution. The decoration was revived by the War Department on 22 February 1932, the two-hundredth anniversary of General Washington’s birth, thus paying respect to his memory and recognizing his military achievements. It is awarded to persons who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Military, are wounded in action against an enemy of The United States, or who since 6 December 1941 are killed in action, or die as a direct result of wounds received in action.

Memorial pavers and benches in honor of, and memory of, those who have been awarded the Purple Heart line the walkways around the Purple Heart Memorial.  Families and organizations are able to sponsor a paver in order to honor particular heroes and help support the Park.

The Ohio Veterans’ Memorial Park has been built and is maintained by an all-volunteer work-force that is dedicated to saying “Thank You” to our Veterans.  They need our support and could use men and women to help with events, lawn care, and maintenance.  If you’re in the area – you may find this to be an incredibly rewarding way to help support and possibly become part of the team.  For more information on volunteering, you can call the Park at (330) 529-4001.

If you’re not in the immediate area or able to support the park in person, they of course can use our support financially.  The OVMP is built and operated entirely on private donations.  They receive no funding from government agencies and rely entire on donations from citizens, companies, and organizations in order to operate.  If you would like to help support the Park – visit them online at www.OVMP.org/donate

Ohio Veteran’s Memorial Park

8005 Cleveland-Massilon Road

Clinton, OH 44216

(330) 529-4001

OVMP.org

Photos by Jeff Kloth, USN Retired and some courtesy OVMP

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