Veterans Park
A Park is Born
In 2008, the North Carolina Legislature approved Senate Bill 1611 and provided $15 million to construct the North Carolina Veterans Park with Fayetteville, NC as the chosen site. This bill was sponsored by Senator Tony Rand and had overwhelming support. The purpose of the North Carolina Veterans Park is a state park that honors military veterans from ALL service branches.
This park will consist of a visitors' center, 7 water features, walking paths, and public art including the Oath of Service Wall. The North Carolina Veterans Park will provide a place for meaningful reflection and inspiration in a community setting that is beautiful, bold, and unique to honor the lives, service, and pride of North Carolina veterans.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
The North Carolina Veterans Park held a groundbreaking on February 11, 2010 on the Parade Field of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. The ceremony was attended by veterans, elected officials and community leaders as well the general public. This ceremony officially started the construction phase of the park.
Topping Off Ceremony
On March 16, 2011, The City of Fayetteville conducted a "Topping Off" Ceremony and met an important milestone when The Pride and Purpose Tower, the tallest structure of the park, was hoisted onto its base. The tower adjourns the Patriot Wall that will feature cascading water, stone and glass etched with famous quotations, an image of a soldier and the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Community leaders participated in this event.
Congressional and State Honors
The US Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly recognized the Veterans Park with resolutions from both bodies. You can read the US Congress Resolution HERE and the North Carolina General Assembly Resolution HERE.
Dedication Ceremony & Ribbon Cutting - July 4, 2011
The North Carolina Veterans Park held their groundbreaking ceremony July 4, 2011. This ceremony was held to officially open the park and to commemorate veterans from ALL branches of the military. Over 3000 people were present for the ceremony including elected officials, community leaders, military personnel and countless The North Carolina Veterans Park story line is the guiding vision for design of the park: "From the soils of North Carolina, you left your families and homes with purpose to serve your Country ... The people of North Carolina Honor your service and welcome you home."
The primary theme of the North Carolina Veterans Park (NCVP) is a "Veteran's Journey: life before, during, and after service". The secondary theme is rebirth and healing. This park represents redevelopment of an underutilized and environmentally challenged site, and is an opportunity to be a key revitalization component for downtown Fayetteville. The goal was to create a a 21st Century park that was designed for reflection and celebration - with bold, unique, and captivating exhibits - this 21st century park is a place where veterans can gather...and where every visitor can share the moving tribute of a grateful state, honoring those to whom our nation owes its freedom.
A 3,500 square foot Visitors Center anchors the park near the entrance. The Visitors Center will include a Service Ribbon Wall made of fused glass, representing every service medal awarded since the Civil War, as well as a unique chandelier made from 33,500 " dog tags" (service member identification tags). There will also be an interactive globe that allows you to pinpoint a location and learn about the heroic events that happened there.
Outside the Visitors Center is the North Carolina Soils Wall, built with soil collected from the state's 100 counties. Native soils from North Carolina are featured and used throughout the park. The Community Lawn area features the Story Garden, which is an interactive structure where you can listen to touching personal accounts of veterans' military experiences and their lives today.
The North Carolina Veterans Park is located adjacent to the 59,000 sq. ft. Airborne & Special Operations Museum. The Airborne & Special Operations Museum preserves the extraordinary feats performed by parachute and glider borne troops and their brothers in arms, the Special Operations Forces. By exploring the artifact displays, life-size dioramas, audio and visual displays, and motion simulator, you will gain a deeper respect and pride for the remarkable achievements of these brave Airborne & Special Operations soldiers. One of the area's premier attractions, this state-of-the-art educational facility houses exhibits and programs that highlight the honor, courage, duty, and heroic feats of this unique sector of our armed forces from its inception in 1940 to present-day operations. The facility is part of the Army museum system. You can learn more about the museum at www.visitfayettevillenc.com
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