Memorial Day: Bratt Park, Century Wall And Other Memorials Honor Locals That Served And Sacrificed

May 25, 2020

On  Memorial Day, people across North Escambia and the country remember the brave men and women that have served and sacrificed all.

In North Escambia, there are several memorials that honor those that have served in the military. Below, we are highlighting some of the outdoor memorials.

Continue scrolling; the article continues below the photos.

LCpl Travis M. Nelson Park

The LCpl Travis M. Nelson Park was dedicated in Bratt on November 8, 2011, in honor of the local Marine killed in action in August 2011 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. It was just two weeks after his 19th birthday and only about a month after he arrived in Afghanistan.

The park features a memorial in Nelson’s honor. It is located on West Highway 4, just west of Northview High School.

For more photos from Travis M. Nelson Park and the Century memorial (highlighted below), click here.

Century Veterans Wall of Honor

About four dozen of those that served from the Century area are honored on the Century Veterans Wall of Honor at Century’s Roadside Park on Highway 29. The memorial was dedicated on July 4, 2008 and also honors local soldiers killed in action.

The Century Veterans Wall of Honor is located in the Nadine McCaw Park at the corner of North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) and Hecker Road.

Walnut Hill Veterans Wall of Honor

The largest such memorial in the North Escambia area, the Veteran’s Honor Wall has stood in front of the Walnut Hill Community Center since its dedication in 2003. There are about300 names on the wall, including  names of just over a dozen soldiers killed in action. The wall honors those from the Walnut Hill area that have served in the nation’s military.

The Walnut Hill Ruritan Club began planning the wall in late 2001, and they decided that it would be a community project at no cost to the veterans listed.

The late Billy R. Ward began to engrave the names with an antique machine the club purchased off the internet, and there were 220 names on the wall when it was dedicated in 2003. He spent a lot of time on the project, visiting the Wall South Memorial in Pensacola to get an idea what size the letters on the plaques should be.

On the Walnut Hill Veteran’s Honor Wall, everyone is equal. It was decided that no service rank would be include on the name plaques, just the branch and years of service.

Many of the veterans listed on the wall are now deceased.

The Walnut Hill Veteran’s Wall is located in front of the community center at 7850 Highway 97.

NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.

Comments

One Response to “Memorial Day: Bratt Park, Century Wall And Other Memorials Honor Locals That Served And Sacrificed”

  1. Cindi R Aldridge on May 26th, 2020 1:45 pm

    Very moving…I always think of my Dad, John Capo, when I see these memorials. He flew helicopters in Vietnam with the Delta 281st Assault Helicopter Company and was shot down. Miraculously surviving. All veterans of all conflicts have my utmost respect.