We were told that North Platte has an impressive Veterans Memorial so off we went to see it.
“The busy crossroads of the Eisenhower Memorial Interstate System, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Highway, is the perfect location for this 20th Century Veterans Memorial. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard as well as the volunteers of the North Platte Canteen are memorialized by bronze statues.
The five major conflicts of the 20th century from World War I to the first Iraq War are depicted in a 15-foot tall brick bas-relief mural. The memorial features a Walk of Honor, lined by thousands of commemorative bricks showing the names of veterans who served at any time during the 20th century. For a truly in-depth look at the impact of the North Platte Canteen interested visitors should also be sure to see the exhibit at the Lincoln County Historical Museum.
Adjacent to the memorial to our military heroes is the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Memorial that pays homage to those brave men and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty protecting the public as officers sworn to uphold the law.”
It truly is impressive and somber. There are two walkways lined with commemorative bricks, interspersed with sculptures honoring various sections of the military.
At the end of the walkway is this huge relief mural honoring the branches of the service and five conflicts of the 20th century.
I am so fascinated how an artist captures expression in a sculpture. WOW!
WOW! Some up close pictures of the mural. I did take pictures of every statue and every section of the mural so let me know if you want me to post them all.
Aren’t they something?!! WOW!
There was a dedication to the North Platte Canteen workers:
In that same area was the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Memorial:
North Platte has so much history on the railroad but I will say, this memorial was well worth the stop.
More pictures here:
https://www.imagesinbrick.com/veterans-memorial
https://visitnebraska.com/north-platte/20th-century-veterans-memorial
https://visitnorthplatte.com/directory-posts/20th-century-veterans-memorial/
And our touristy day continued by going to the Cody Park where I was told there was more sculptures.. Well..we did not find them but adjacent to Cody Park is Memorial Park.
Steam Trains – We just loved it.
The display included the Challenger Steam locomotive #3977. When the Challenger was delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad in June 1943, it was one of the 105 such engines built by the American Locomotive Company of New York. There are only two remaining “3900” class locomotives. One is operated by Union Pacific Railroad for steam excursions from their Cheyenne Steam works and the other is here.
Also the #6922 Diesel locomotive is here. The “6900” series were the largest and most powerful diesel-electric locomotives ever built. Plus there are a number of cars that contain historic displays and railroad memorabilia.
Yes, we had a blast!
The 3977 on the left and the 6922 on the right.
Inside the 3977:
Andy running the steam train:
My job – shoveling coal – LOL:
What a wonderful treat to the end of the day!
The park was next to the Platte River. The American Indians named it the Platte which meant flat because it was wide and mostly shallow. This was one of the best areas for the wagon trails to cross.
What an incredible day!!
I have so enjoyed following part of the emigrant trails. I would love to just take our time at each little area and just learn more. So much to see!
Tomorrow we head to Wyoming so stay tuned and enjoy today.
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