Klamath Falls Veterans Memorial Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Klamath Falls Veterans Memorial Park |
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The Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Klamath Falls on the shore of Lake Ewauna.
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| Location | Klamath Falls, Oregon |
| Open | Dawn to dusk, daily, year round |
The Klamath Falls Veterans Memorial Park is a special park in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It sits right by Lake Ewauna. This park was created in 2007 to honor people who have served, or are currently serving, in the U.S. military. This includes the U.S. Armed Forces, Coast Guard, and the Wartime Merchant Marine.
The park is about 3.30 acres big. The Oregon Air National Guard helped build it. Today, the City of Klamath Falls takes care of the park. You can find many interesting things here. There are special bricks that honor military members. There's also an information stand and a covered area called a pavilion. A really cool feature is an old train, Locomotive #2579, from the Southern Pacific Railroad.
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Where is the Park?
The Klamath Falls Veterans Memorial Park is located in downtown Klamath Falls. It's right where US Route 97 crosses over the Link River. Because it's at the top of the Klamath River, you can even get to Lake Ewauna by boat from the park!
How the Park Was Built
A group of volunteers decided to create this memorial park. They wanted to honor all the brave people who served in the military. The project was planned in different steps. This allowed for future additions to the park.
Many groups helped make the park a reality. Local military groups, civilian clubs, the Oregon National Guard, and the city and county of Klamath all pitched in. Many citizens also gave donations.
The first part of the park began construction in August 2007. It was finished and officially opened just three months later. This special day was Veterans' Day, November 11, 2007.
What Was Built First?
The first part of the park included several important features:
- A covered pavilion and benches where people can rest.
- Flag poles for displaying flags.
- Concrete walkways with cool red, white, and blue lights.
- Bronze plaques that represent each branch of the military.
- Monuments that remember different wars.
- The first set of memorial bricks.
- Beautiful landscaping around the park.
More Additions to the Park
A second part of the park was finished and dedicated on Memorial Day in 2008. This phase added a Blue Star Memorial Highway marker. This marker is a special tribute to all the armed forces who have protected the United States. More memorial bricks were also added during this second phase.
Natural Heating System
Klamath Falls is in a special area known for its natural heat from the Earth. This is called a Known Geothermal Resource Area. Because of this, the sidewalks and the bases for the memorial bricks in the park have pipes underneath them.
These pipes are part of a geothermal heating system. This means that natural heat from deep underground warms the pipes. During the winter, this natural heat melts snow and ice on the sidewalks. It's like a giant, natural snowmelt system!
