"All Gave Some, Some Gave All" Memorial
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
This bronze sculpture and stone monument honor Star City residents who served in the military. The memorial is located at the JFK Memorial Park in Star City.
Images
"All Gave Some, Some Gave All" memorial.
Stone accompanying sculpture.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Located at the Star City riverfront, this memorial is a tribute to Star City residents who served in the military. The memorial consists of two pieces: a bronze sculpture and a stone monument.
The stone monument was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2011. The monument includes a large star with the letters "WV" in the middle, flanked by the emblems of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Department of Defense. The monument text reads: "In honor of all Star City Veterans / Past / Present / Future."
The bronze sculpture was dedicated on May 25, 2015. It depicts the "battlefield cross," a rifle with a helmet balanced on top planted in the ground behind a pair of boots. This image may have first appeared in the Civil War as the dead were gathered for burial. It gained more popular use in World War I as a makeshift way of identifying the temporary graves of fallen soldiers. Throughout other conflicts in the twentieth century, the "cross" became a powerful symbol of those who gave their lives defending the United States, while also providing a sense of closure for the living. Originally, the "cross" consisted of just the rifle and helmet. Later depictions include dog tags, a pair of boots, and other personal memorabilia.
The Star City battlefield cross includes a small plaque with the words: "'All Gave Some - Some Gave All.' Dedicated to the memory of all veterans who proudly served and protected their country." The plaque also depicts the emblems of the five branches of the military.
Among the 200 people attending the dedication ceremony was West Virginia Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant, who said the memorial is meant "to remember those who have fallen, who gave their lives, whose families sacrificed as well."
The stone monument was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2011. The monument includes a large star with the letters "WV" in the middle, flanked by the emblems of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Department of Defense. The monument text reads: "In honor of all Star City Veterans / Past / Present / Future."
The bronze sculpture was dedicated on May 25, 2015. It depicts the "battlefield cross," a rifle with a helmet balanced on top planted in the ground behind a pair of boots. This image may have first appeared in the Civil War as the dead were gathered for burial. It gained more popular use in World War I as a makeshift way of identifying the temporary graves of fallen soldiers. Throughout other conflicts in the twentieth century, the "cross" became a powerful symbol of those who gave their lives defending the United States, while also providing a sense of closure for the living. Originally, the "cross" consisted of just the rifle and helmet. Later depictions include dog tags, a pair of boots, and other personal memorabilia.
The Star City battlefield cross includes a small plaque with the words: "'All Gave Some - Some Gave All.' Dedicated to the memory of all veterans who proudly served and protected their country." The plaque also depicts the emblems of the five branches of the military.
Among the 200 people attending the dedication ceremony was West Virginia Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant, who said the memorial is meant "to remember those who have fallen, who gave their lives, whose families sacrificed as well."
Sources
Public art label: All Gave Some, Some Gave All. Star City waterfront. Accessed 2018.
Golden, Kathleen. "The Battlefield Cross." National Museum of American History. May 21, 2015. Accessed September 2018. http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/battlefield-cross
Golden, Kathleen. "The Battlefield Cross." National Museum of American History. May 21, 2015. Accessed September 2018. http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/battlefield-cross
Wiles, Sunshine. "Battlefield cross memorial dedicated at Star City park." WAJR. May 25, 2015. Accessed September 2018. http://wajr.com/battlefield-cross-memorial-dedicated-at-star-city-park/