Jet, Oklahoma Veterans Memorial & Air Park

The Memorial consists of a gray granite Memorial (monument) set in an “Air Park” with a U.S. Air Force (USAF) T-37 jet trainer aircraft on a pedestal stand in simulated flight, in front of 3 flagpoles, flying the American, Oklahoma, and Lions Clubs International flags. The Memorial area is bounded by a short white pipe fence along the roadways on the east and south. The memorial monument is a 3-piller gray granite structure with a taller central pillar and 2 shorter adjacent side pillars. The pillars are joined, and rest on a horizontal gray granite base, which sits on a concrete pad. The monument is surrounded by white rock, is set along a gravel path and among shrubbery and decorative plantings. The center pillar is engraved, on the front side, with the Coat of Arms of the United States and inscribed: MEMORIAL FOR THE VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES ARMY, NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AIR FORCE, COAST GUARD DECLARATION THIS MEMORIAL HONORS MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN TIME OF WAR, IN TIME OF CONFLICT OR PEACE, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES, WHO WERE WOUNDED OR MAIMED, AND WHO WERE HELD AS PRISONERS OF WAR. THESE STONES SHALL SERVE AS SENTRIES TO PROTECT AND HOLD THEIR NAMES WITH THE DIGNITY AND ESTEEM THEY JUSTLY DESERVE FOR TIME IMMORTAL. There follows a listing of 7 veterans, by war period, for World War I (1 veteran), and World War II (6 veterans). The rear side of the center pillar is engraved with the Coat of Arms of the United States and the same inscription as on the front side. The only difference between the two sides is that there is no listing of war veterans on the rear face. An alphabetical listing of names of veterans continues on the front and rear faces of both of the side pillars. (Note: Jet is a small town in Alfalfa County, in the northwestern part of Oklahoma, with a population of 223 (2016).) (Note: The Cessna T-37 “Tweet” is a small twin-engine jet trainer aircraft, which was used as a primary flight training aircraft by the USAF for some 52 years, between 1957-2009.) (Note: Lions Clubs International is a non-political service organization with over 1.4 million members worldwide, in some 45,000 local service clubs, in over 200 countries. The organization promotes good government and citizenship, and is involved in civic, cultural, social and moral welfare activities in their communities. Lions raise money for charitable causes and are perhaps best known for their work for the blind and visually impaired.)