Stories

We'll be following the restoration of our treasured Merci Train car in the next several weeks!
For those unfamiliar with  the Merci Train, here's additional information.

In 1949, Indiana was gifted one of 49 Merci Train railroad box cars. This gesture was in response to and with appreciation from French citizens after more than 700 American box cars of relief goods was sent to them, including from donations by many individual Americans.

Fort Wayne, In Jan. 25th The Veterans National Memorial Shrine & Museum
has recently been awarded the 2022 Concrete Achievement Award by the Indiana
Ready Mixed Concrete Association for the construction of the Vietnam Wall. The
Award was presented to Commander Greg Bedford, Chris Harmon Director of
Field Operations for Hagerman Construction, as well as Shawn Hacker, Forman
on the wall project from Hagerman, in Indianapolis on Monday January 17th.

Fort Wayne, IN: The McComb Family Foundation donated $25,000 for a
Granite Columbarium to be built at Veterans National Memorial Shrine and
Museum, 2122 O’Day Road.

On Saturday, November 27, 2021, a ceremony was held by the American Legion Auxiliary Post 47 to honor all military personnel. They presented a Red Poppy Wreath and a framed poem of "In Flanders Field" by John McCrea in 1915.

Plan a visit to the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum to see this special gift and the entire collection.

The Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum has been recognized for the board's commitment to ensure there will always be a place "Where no veteran will ever be forgotten".

Fort Wayne, IN: On Tuesday, July 27th the Veterans National
Memorial Shrine and Museum will host a Korean War Veterans
Armistice Day Ceremony from 11am to 1pm at the Shrine Pavilion
located at 2122 O’Day Road. Korean War Veterans and their families
are invited to attend. There will be a ceremony honoring Korean
Veterans in attendance. Antoinette Lee will be the featured speaker
at the event. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

Fort Wayne, In. July 16th The local BFGoodrich Manufacturing Plant is
donating $10,000 in partnership with the $10,000 donation from United
Steelworkers Local 715.

This $20,000 donation is for the installation and maintenance of the Vietnam
Wall. There will be an official check presentation on July 22nd at 3:30 pm at
the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum.

Full Press Release

Fort Wayne, April 2021

The Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum has received
notification of a donation in the amount of $150,000 from the
Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution. The donation will be used to construct a new Chapel at
2122 O’Day Road in Fort Wayne.

The Chapel will be known as the Sterling Chapel and is made possible by a
generous bequest from DAR member Jeanette Thompson Sterling.

In Canton, Ohio a 7-foot-tall monument stands in a courtyard outside of the Aultman School of Nursing. It’s topped by a life-size bronze statue of a young woman dressed in an Army uniform. Its base is inscribed with the names of 110 Stark County servicemen, and one woman, who died during the Vietnam War.

Sharon Lane, a first lieutenant, was killed June 8, 1969 when a rocket hit the 312th Evacuation Hospital’s Vietnamese ward in Chu Lai. She was 25.

Lane, a U.S. Army nurse, was the only American servicewoman killed by direct enemy fire during the Vietnam War.

It wasn’t the typical ribbon cutting ceremony.

Instead of standing in front of some building, Heyward Matthews, a professor of oceanography at St. Petersburg College, wielded the oversized scissors in the water and cut a ribbon strung between two boats.

That’s because Matthews was dedicating the opening of the nation’s first underwater dive memorial honoring veterans, located 40 feet below the surface 10 miles off the coast of Dunedin Beach, Florida. Matthews has been pushing the idea for the “Circle of Heroes" for almost 10 years.