The Veterans Memorial, here in New Palestine,
began as an idea, a concept, by Post 182 members
back in 2002.
Model designed and built by veteran and Post 182 member Bill McCoy.
As there was more than one iteration of the design and architecture over many months and years, Bill built more than one model, updating the new design each time it was changed, for display in New Palestine Town Hall and ChamberFest and Lions Fall Festival booths.
There was some difficulty finding suitable and available ground, and finally, after literally years of searching, the Sugar Creek Parks board agreed to let the Legionnaires build near the entrance to the new park!


Long awaited ground-breaking ceremony, summer
of 2015.
Construction began soon after, with Sons commander Dave Mummert, a building contractor, and Post member veteran Bob Robertson, also in the building trades, heading up the charge.
There were supplies to be ordered, donated materials to gather, deliveries to schedule, funds to be raised, commemorative brick orders to process, volunteers to coordinate, a few thousand hours of on-site construction labor to be done, landscaping to arrange, and the whole of the Legion Family membership did it's best to chip in.
Several months later, and it actually looks like the Veteran Memorial these dedicated members had envisioned so long ago.
The annual American Legion 182 Memorial Day ceremony in 2017 (pergola, canons, landscaping not yet finished) drew the largest Memorial Day crowd the Legion members had yet seen!
Also pictured: a foggy day in the fall, the Christmas wreaths lit up on Christmas Eve, and a snowy First Day of Spring.
YOU (were) invited to the
Public Dedication of the
Southern Hancock County
Veterans Memorial
was Saturday, May 12, 2018, 1:00pm
A VERY SPECIAL patriotic musical presentation by our award winning New Palestine music and choral departments.
     PLUS!
Bubble-top M.A.S.H. style helicopter on display (beginning at 11:00a)
Korean era Huey helicopter fly in, landing during the ceremony, remaining for display
Food for all, entertainment for the kids.
Free parking at the high school and New Pal elementary with continuous shuttle service.
Bring lawn chairs and/or picnic blankets (and tissues, you'll probably need them when you get a little choked up).
Hear the WORLD PREMIER of
an Eric Whitacre arrangement
of our NATIONAL ANTHEM
commissioned and performed by
our Award Winning
NPHS MARCHING DRAGONS

On Memorial Day...

Commemorative Bricks to Honor
​an Active Service Member or Veteran

Funding for the construction of this feature at our public park is 100% through our New Palestine Legion Post (many outside donors!), with our sincere thanks to the Sugar Creek Township Parks Board for providing the location - Thank You!
Profits raised from the commemorative bricks are also fully dedicated to this project's maintenance and expenses, and are open to any and all military personnel, past and present, living or deceased.

    I'd like to order a brick (or two) and/or donate to the
    ​Southern Hancock Veterans Memorial
    All bricks are ​8 inches wide, each line can hold up to 17 characters, including spaces and punctuation - 1, 2, or 3 lines on 4" tall brick, from 1 to 6 lines on large 8" tall brick
    Your donation to place a brick includes ALL engraved lines of text (i.e. 1 line of text is the same price as 2 or 5 lines)