Clark County’s Veterans Park in Springfield is in the process of getting a facelift that will include a new stage, new landscaping, and beautiful black granite memorials honoring veterans of every war Clark County soldiers have fought in, going all the way back to the Revolutionary War and to the recent War on Terror.
The update is happening thanks to a collaboration between National Trail Parks and Recreation (NTPRD), local Vietnam veteran and historian Randy Ark, and the generosity of private and corporate donors.
“This will be a very personal park...a beautiful, peaceful place where visitors can reflect and remember Clark County’s soldiers,” says Ark.
Veterans Memorial Park is located in front of the Springfield Art Museum at 107 Cliff Park Rd. in Springfield.
Three memorials are already installed at Veterans Park honoring Clark County’s 63 fallen Vietnam warriors. One honors its fallen Marines, another is dedicated to all soldiers who lost their lives in the war, and still another memorializes the Soldier/Handlers and their “war dogs” who were lost in battle. All three were moved from their original sites in the park and placed next to each other in a new location on the north bank of Buck Creek right next to the bike path.
A granite bench dedicated to the men and women who have served in the military has also been installed at the location, and Ark says he would like to see a second one get installed as well. The bench costs under $4,000.
Subsequent memorials will be placed in chronological order on each side of the Vietnam memorials. All of the memorials will include pictures of some of the soldiers who actually fought in the war each granite monument represents.
A divider resembling a “hedgehog” defense device will be placed between each set of war memorials. They will serve as signs announcing which memorial the visitor is looking at. Ark explains the significance of using the hedgehogs throughout the memorial display.
“Hedgehogs are big pieces of metal used for defense. During World War II, the Germans placed them in the water on the beaches of Normandy. Sometimes the Germans would wire explosives to the top of them. When the tide came it you couldn’t see them and they would just tear up the bottom of a boat. On D-Day, the Allies tried to go in at low tide so they could see them. A lot of the guys died when they tried to hide behind them and inadvertently detonated the explosives.”
A seat wall will also accompany the memorials, so visitors can feel they can take their time visiting the memorial. People will also be able to donate and dedicate a paver for the memorial.
American flags and flags representing each branch of the military will be flown near the new bridge on Fountain Ave., Ark hopes one of them is be the American flag that used to fly in front of Mercy Hospital. Everything will be lit up at night to correspond with the lights on the bridge.
Ark says the project has been designed by Eugenia Martin, a landscape architect working out of Dublin. “She’s been great about listening to our ideas and goals. She took all of that, added some things we never would have even thought of, like having an (arbor) over the stage and planting foliage so something is blooming all year. She has come up with something really beautiful that I think people will enjoy.”
Other work has been done in addition to the moving and re-installation of the existing memorials. For example, the underbrush and over-growth that obscured a view of the new bridge on Fountain Ave. has been removed.
In addition to Ark and Martin, Vietnam Veteran Ron Coss and NTPRD Asst. Director Brad Boyer are on the committee making the final decisions regarding the Veterans Park updates. However, Ark comments, “So many other people have been instrumental in helping make this happen...it’s amazing how people have stepped up to help...it truly is a community project.”
The update promises to be a beautiful addition to Clark County. Ark says individuals and businesses wishing to donate to the project and/or sponsor a monument or bench can contact him at (937) 215-3929 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
