About the Memorial

The Guilford County Veterans Memorial is an approximately one-acre memorial dedicated to the Guilford County, North Carolina, veterans of our nation's foreign wars.

It is composed of many meaningful sections:

Curved Entryway signifies "Welcome to All Visitors;" We welcome you to see how the people of Guilford County responded to the call of our national leaders to defend the freedoms we hold dear, and to define who we are as a people.

This leads to a Circular Area. A circle, an unbroken line, represents the unity of the United States in times of national peril.

This Central Area has walls but is open to the heavens, signifying freedom.

This area contains an Obelisk, a tall four-sided tapered pillar pointing to the heaens, and signifying our belief that we are a nation under God.

A Bronze Plaque on each of the four sides of the obelisk recognizes those in this country who supported the call to defend our freedoms.

A Ring of Walls, with text and map panels to tell the story of why ahd how we of Guilford County responded to the call to defend our liberties.

The Wall of Honor, displaying the Service Seals of our Military Forces, signifies honor and esteem to the Services which defend our National Heritage.

Openings in the walls make the inside visible to those approaching. This signifies the openness of the United States, a welcome to all to our shores.

A ring of individual Bricks, engraved with the names of those who are remembered for Service to the Nation. The individual bricks are for those who served in all our wars from the Spanish-American War to the War in Bosnia.

Two Exit Paths, leading from the central obelisk area to the winding "A. 'Jack' Tannenbaum Path of Memories," an area with six laminate panels. Each panel contains the innermost thoughts of those who were in combat in our wars, World War I to the Persian Gulf. These panels, some prayerful, some humorous, tell of the anguish they felt. These passages are meant to show that combat is for the brave and often costs the nation its best and brightest. Before each panel is a bench for contemplation and prayer.

At the apex of the winding "A. 'Jack' Tannenbaum Path of Memories," a Curved Wall. On the wall, in bronze, a passage from a World War II military cemetery in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations:

When you go home,
Tell them of us and say:
For your tomorrow,
We gave our today.

In front of the bronze plaque, benches for rest and contemplation and prayer to honor those men and women of this Country and this Nation who gave their full measure of devotion.

Every part of the Guilford County Veterans Memorial has meaning.

The Obelisk is the central identifying feature of the Guilford County Veterans Memorial.

The Photo Panels are part of the Ring of Walls that, along with detailed maps, tell the story of Guilford County veterans' service throughout our country's wars. Click here to view more of the photo panels.