Del City, Oklahoma Patriot Park Women's Veterans Monument

Patriot Park’s newest monument is the Women’s Veterans Monument, that was dedicated on November 11, 2014. It is also the largest and most complex of all the Park memorials. It is situated independently on higher ground to the north of the other veteran memorials, with its own long concrete entrance walkway. During the approach along the walkway, the first feature of the memorial encountered is a large boulder, with a large bronze marker plaque mounted on the side facing the walk. The plaque identifies the WOMEN’S VETERANS MONUMENT, date of dedication, the city and seal of the City of Del City, Oklahoma, principals of the city government, and other individuals and businesses instrumental in the design, development, creation, and construction of the memorial display. The sculptor is identified as Joel Randell. Proceeding up the walk, as the ground begins to rise, a low concrete wall, capped and walled on the interior with polished black granite, frames the walkway. The wall becomes progressively taller as it moves up the slope toward a flagpole. The entire memorial is walled and is characterized by polished black granite on caps and interior walls, and light tan concrete exterior walls. The contrast is striking. At the top of the entry walk, at the entry, is the focal point of the monument: a flagpole flying the American Flag, with 5 life-size bronze statues of women service members surrounding the pole, standing at attention, facing outward and holding hands in an unbroken circle around the Flag. The pole and women are positioned on a circular raised polished black granite platform, which is also a water feature, with 5 water fountains emitting water which flows across the top, over the edge, down the walls, and into a brick-lined collection channel around the base. The platform has a series of recessed lights around the statues to provide up-lighting at night. The women are in their respective service uniforms with headgear, and represent (clockwise from entry) the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Marine Corps. The platform is centered in a circular area with a light tan concrete floor, and polished black granite walls which bear the 5 Service Medallions. Concrete benches are spaced around the circle for seating. Two floodlights are positioned on the grounds outside the monument to the northwest and southeast to illuminate the Flag and statues at night. A second opening at the north end of the circular display area allows for movement along a broad, walled concrete walkway to another major feature of the monument. The wide walk is separated in the middle by a water channel lined with bricks, and thus forms 2 separate walks. The walk and channel run slightly downhill to a large rectangular court with a brick-outlined reflecting pool in the center. The wall becomes progressively shorter as it moves down the slope toward the pool. The channel permits water to flow from the upper flagpole feature to the lower reflecting pool. The bottom of the pool is black granite which provides a nice reflective surface as well as being attractive. The feature attractions in the court are 2 bronze statues of a female U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer (NCO), and a young girl, symbolically her daughter, sitting on the low east wall. The NCO, a combat veteran assigned overseas with the Oklahoma National Guard 45th Infantry Brigade, wears the Army Combat Uniform with appropriate insignia, and appears engaged in conversation with the girl. The girl appears to be paying rapt attention, looking up, with a smile, and playfully dons the NCO’s cap. A bronze plate attached to the granite wall close by, identifies the NCO by name, indicates she is a native of Del City, a First Sergeant with the Oklahoma National Guard, has participated in 2 national disaster relief operations and deployed overseas on active duty for combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has been awarded 3 Bronze Star Medals for meritorious achievement. A smaller plate beside the girl, on the granite wall, identifies the girl by name. Both plates indicate these features were dedicated on November 11, 2014, at the same time other features of the monument were dedicated. The Women’s Veterans Monument is symbolic in many ways. The 5 women service members holding hands around “Old Glory” illustrates the common bond shared by women veterans, regardless of branch of service, and their commitment to rally around the Flag in defense of the nation. The statue of the woman soldier and the girl symbolizes the varying roles of women in the military, as women, members of the armed forces, citizens, wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, leaders, veterans, and patriots. It likewise represents the legacy potential for future generations of service women. (Note: Del City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, with a population of some 22,008 (2014), is part of the Greater Oklahoma City (OKC) Metropolitan Area, and borders southeast OKC, Midwest City, and Tinker Air Force Base.) (Note: Patriot Park is the site of annual Veterans Day Ceremonies in which Active and Reserve Component military units and individuals, Veteran Service Organizations, civic, governmental, and fraternal organizations, local businesses, citizens, youth groups, and veterans participate. The Park is a very veteran-friendly environment and unique in that it participates in the Del City “Adopt a Unit Program” by adopting 2 units: an Air Wing from nearby Tinker Air Force Base, and a Transportation Company of the Oklahoma Army National Guard. In addition, the Park provides reserved parking for combat wounded veterans visiting the facility.) (Note: The Women’s Monument was paid for by a city sales tax approved by the voters, to raise the required $1.5 million dollars.) (Note: The Del City Women’s Veterans Monument is purported to be the second largest bronze women’s veterans monument in the nation.)