Littleton World War II Memorial

Littleton's Ketring Park is a quaint spot not far from downtown Littleton. It features a small lake and a nice little path that goes around it. The park is also home to the Littleton Museum. Just to the north of the museum parking lot, you will find a large memorial, dedicated to those who served during World War II.

The memorial grew out of a special gathering for World War II vets and their families in 1995, the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. It was dedicated on November 11, 2000. The memorial features several monoliths representing the various theaters of the war. The text on each was written by the history departments at various Littleton high schools, and Arapahoe Community College.

You can visit the memorial at Ketring Park, 6000 S Gallup St in Littleton.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial - City Park

I admit, It probably would've been more appropriate for me to time this post with the Martin Luther King Jr holiday last week. Hey, better late than never, and besides, it's not like celebrating Dr. King is only allowed one day a year. When that mood strikes you to recognize the man, Denver's City Park has an impressive memorial perfect for times of reflection.

The bronze statue by artist Ed Dwight was installed in 2002, replacing another King monument that moved south to Pueblo. The statue of King stands on a tiered pedestal. Statues of four other individuals surround him. These include Frederick Douglas, Rosa Parks, Mohandas Gandhi, and Sojourner Truth.

Surrounding the pedestal on four sides are a series of tablets that detail the struggle of African Americans, key events in King's lights, and several of King's quotes.

The memorial is located in the southern part of the park, just a short jog northeast of the State of Colorado Fountain I detailed in a previous post. City Park is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd in Denver.

Living Wheel Park

The town of Parker came to be due to its important location at the intersection of the Cherokee Trail and the Smokey Hill Trail. The Twenty Mile House was a spot where travelers would stop, at the intersection of what is now Parker Road and Mainstreet. And yes, in Parker it's "Mainstreet," not "Main Street." A small park, Living Wheel Park, now sits at this location. It's not a park with picnic tables or playgrounds, but there are a few items worth taking a moment to appreciate.

One of the most prominent features is a large and detailed sculpture by Ralph Crawford called Run to Twenty Mile. It depicts a stagecoach drawn by six horses bringing travelers to Twenty Mile House. 

Though I love many of the art we find around the Denver area, pieces that celebrate our region's western heritage are often among my favorites. This piece is particularly detailed. I may be wrong, but one of the individuals riding in the stagecoach sure looks like he could be Buffalo Bill Cody.

Nearby, is a sculpture called Self Made Man by Bobbie K Carlyle. It depicts a man carving himself out of stone.

The actual wheel-shaped area that gives the park its name is dedicated to honoring our nation's military. The center of the wheel features a sculpture of an eagle called Patient Warrior. The piece is by sculptor Christopher Romero.

To the west side of the wheel, another sculpture serves as a memorial to all US veterans. The plague indicates that it exists as result of an Eagle Scout project conducted by a local youth.

Living Wheel Park is located at 18995 Mainstreet in Parker.

7/20 Memorial

Unfortunately, we've had more than our share of dark days here in the Denver area. One of those days was July 20, 2012; the day of the Aurora Theater shooting. A very close friend of mine was at the theater that night to see The Dark Knight Rises. Luckily, he was not among the 13 who lost their lives, or the 70 who were wounded. In the days following the incident, a makeshift memorial sprung up near the theater. However, the need for something more permanent soon became apparent. On July 27, 2018, the permanent memorial was dedicated.

The piece titled "Ascentiate" was created by artist Douwe Blumeberg. It features 83 sculpted cranes, representing the 13 who were killed and the 70 who were wounded. Each of the cranes also contain a canister filled with items of remembrance from members of the community.

I had the opportunity to visit the memorial for the first time a few days ago. Despite the fact that it is located near a busy intersection, it is tucked away in a surprisingly peaceful and serene spot. The 7/20 Memorial is located at the intersection of Alameda and Chambers, on the grounds of the Aurora Municipal Center, just a few blocks from where the movie theater stood.

9/11 Memorial - Broomfield

In addition to the small memorial to the USS Indianapolis at Community Park in Broomfield, you will also find a much larger memorial devoted to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  It is located on the northeast side of the pond inside the park.  It was dedicated on September 11, 2006.

The memorial features three large sculptures that depict familiar images that were burned into our memories in the days following the attacks.  The display also features three walls that depict the three locations impacted that day: New York City, The Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  Lists of the victims' names appear on the back of each wall.

I was actually in the air on the morning of September 11, 2001; returning to the US from Singapore.  My flight ended up landing in Vancouver, BC, Canada and a three-day adventure of trying to get back to Denver began.  It was a challenging day...not being able to contact my family to let them know I was alright, but my story is nothing compared to what many experienced that day.  Hats off to the people of Broomfield for this lovely place of remembrance here in the Denver metro area.

USS Indianapolis Memorial - Broomfield

On a recent trip to Broomfield, Colorado, a suburb situated about midway between Denver and Boulder, I came across a memorial to those who served on the USS Indianapolis.  If you don't know the story of the USS Indianapolis...well, then you haven't seen the movie Jaws.

In the film, Captain Quint (Robert Shaw) tells the story of how the ship was sunk by torpedo fire after having delivered the atomic bomb.  The survivors waited four days in shark-infested waters to be rescued.  Of the 1197 sailors on board, only 317 survived.

This memorial was erected in 2000.  One of the major contributors was Broomfield resident and Indianapolis survivor Paul J. Murphy...who I'm pretty sure I met at the airport a few years ago.  I was returning from a trip and was riding on the shuttle bus to one of the long-term parking lots.  With me on the bus was an elderly man and his wife, both of whom were wearing various military insignias.  Some of the other passengers started asking them some questions and they explained they were returning from a reunion of Indianapolis survivors.  "Do you know the story of the Indianapolis?" his wife said.  Of course, my brain thought, "You mean the ship they talk about in Jaws?" but I didn't say that.  Instead, we all just let these folks tell their story...because even if you do know the story it's always better to let those who lived it share.  The wife mentioned that her husband was, at the time, the only survivor living in Colorado.

This simple memorial can be found on the northwest side of the pond at Community Park in Broomfield, right near the amphitheater.