 No
visit to Wisconsin would be complete without
a tour of the beautiful 54 acre Memorial
Park and its' unique tribute to veterans of
all wars and conflicts located just 40
minutes North of
 LaCrosse
in Arcadia, Wisconsin. Stroll along the
Avenue of Heroes, which is handicap
accessible, to witness exceptional memorial
statues of the fighting men and women who
paid the supreme sacrifice for the freedom
we enjoy today. The statue figures were
designed by Ron Wanek, CEO of Ashley
Furniture Industries.
The walk
begins on the West end of the Park. Walking
east you can experience the development of
the City of Arcadia, along with the
memorials to all wars and conflicts.
As you enter, you will see a pillar honoring
all POW/MIA. The pillar located on the
opposite side honors all of the Silent
Heroes of Wars and Conflicts. The Rotunda
depicts events and persons prior to the
establishment of Arcadia, such as the War of
1812, along with a statue of Andrew Jackson,
George Washington, President, 1789-1797,
Brigadier Gen. Thaddeus Kosiuszko, a Polish
National, and a monument for the Polish
History of Arcadia.
Off to
one side of the Avenue of Heroes, you will
witness an Army tank which was obtained
through the efforts of two local Veterans
and citizens.
The Avenue of Heroes Walk is laid out in
meters with each meter representing one
year. The Walk Way covers 500 years from the
establishment of Arcadia in 1854 until 2354.
Memorial plates note events in the history
of Arcadia.
 Strolling
east again, you will see the Civil War “Boy”
Soldiers, which gives recognition to the
under-age soldiers who took part in the
Civil War. All of the flower beds on the
walk are measured in meters. One meter
represents one year of that particular war
 As
you stroll down the walk, you will see next
in view the statue of Abraham Lincoln from
the Civil War era and a bit further down the
walk, you will see the Angel of Mercy
monument in memory of the Asian War
Movement. This monument was given to the
City of Arcadia by the Taiwan Furniture
Company. It is a 26 ton statue. Ron Wanek
was instrumental in obtaining this and many
other statues in the Park.
During the summer, you will see beds of
flowers that are cared for meticulously by
volunteers.
As you continue your stroll down the Avenue
of Heroes, you will see a monument dedicated
to those who died in the Spanish-American
War. It depicts Teddy Roosevelt "Remember
The Maine".
A bit further
down the path is the World War I monument
with a Veteran's roster on the left of the
monument.
 Here
you will find a listing of all of the
Veteran's from the area who participated in
this war. This is noted to be the "War to
End All Wars".
 Next,
along the walk is a monument depicting World
War II at Iwo Jima, the raising of the Flag.
The Korean Conflict is remembered with a
monument titled "Heading North-Communisms
First Defeat". To the left of the Korean
Memorial,
you will see the roster of area veterans who
served their country during this period.
This
memorial depicts a local veteran, Richard
Gamoke, who served in Korea during the war.
 The
Viet Nam Conflict is remembered with the
Viet Nam War Monument and the Viet Nam
black granite Wall Monument. The
War Monument depicts a Veteran from the
area,
David Hesch, who served in Viet Nam. Names
of many area soldiers/Veterans are etched
into the black granite similar to the Wall
in Washington, DC.
 Next
in view is the area dedicated to the Persian
Gulf War Veterans. This is the first
recognition of the female soldier, along
with George Bush, Colin Powell, and General
Norman Schwarzkopf.
 The
newest addition to the Avenue of Heroes is
the Memorial dedicated
to those
who gave
their
lives on 9/11. A portion of this monument is
a steel beam
from the twisted wreckage in New York City.
After you pass the Persian Gulf Monuments,
you will see a monument, along with plaques,
denoting America in the 20th Century.
You will then pass by the Pavilion and the
largest chicken barbeque pit on the American
continent. Eighteen hundred pieces of
chicken can be grilled at one time on this
grill. The Pavilion is the result of the
local Lions Club and can be rented for
weddings, graduation parties, etc.
The next monument depicts the area's
agricultural background among the early
settlers. The man with the
horse depicts the
father of contributor, Ron Wanek. Much of
the Arcadia area was settled into a farming
community. The fertile land was perfect for
crops and animals.
 As
you stroll along the path you will see
another monument depicting the early
settlers in the Arcadia area with the farm
women and children. The lady resembles the
mother of Ron Wanek and the children
resemble present day grandchildren of Ron
and Joyce Wanek.
As you approach the amphitheater, you will
see the area directly in front of it lined
with commemorative bricks which have been
purchased by individuals wanting to honor
family members and area residents or in
memory of loved ones.
The amphitheatre was dedicated in 2000 with
a concert by Charlie Daniels. There is a
seating capacity in the amphitheatre of
2500. It is the perfect setting for a summer
wedding.
 Around
the perimeter of the amphitheatre is the
General's overlook. There are statues of
General Patton with his bull terrier,
Willie, at the base. Others include General
Douglas Mac Arthur, Commander of Pacific
Forces, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied
Commander, John Pershing, Commander of
Expeditionary Forces, Ulysses Grant, Civil
War General and John Paul Jones, Father of
the U.S. Navy.
Through the efforts of local Veterans, a
Howitzer was obtained. This sits near the
amphitheatre on the East end of the Avenue
of
Heroes. Off on the other side of the
amphitheatre is an F-16 Fighter jet. This is
one of two which were decommissioned. It was
shipped to Arcadia in sections, and then
assembled to its' resting place on the bank
overlooking Memorial Park. The pilots
resembles local Veteran, Ralph Haines.
There is much more to see in this park
but the above may give you some idea of the
quality of Memorial Park. |
