| Austin, Texas On the capitol grounds in Austin, Texas, this memorial to the men and women of the Korean War
was dedicated on April 16, 1999. Governor George W. Bush presided over the ceremony. In attendance were the
Honorable Lee Hong-koo, Republic of Korea Ambassador to the United States and Medal of Honor recipient and
Korean War veteran Colonel Joseph Rodriguez of El Paso. Both of these honored guests spoke at the dedication.
 In 1991 members of the
Texas Lone Star Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association established a goal to raise the funds necessary
to build a State memorial honoring the 289-thousand Texans who served in the Korean War and the more than 1700
missing or killed in action. Through their hard work and the efforts of their friends and those who donated
funds, they saw their hard work and dedication unveiled on the grounds of the State Capital eight years later.
The memorial encompasses an area of 24 feet by 24 feet. It is made of rose granite and features a Texas Star
styling with a great American Bald Eagle perched on the center obelisk. Click on the image to see a larger view
of the area around the memorial.
The magnificent bronze eagle is standing on a GI helmet and is holding a dog tag in one talon. The center
obelisk is seven (7) feet high. On the five sides of the obelisk are seals of the branches of the Armed
Services. On the five fins of the star, radiating out from the obelisk, names are engraved in alphabetical order
of the Texas KIA's and Texas MIA's, a total of 1723 individuals.
Within the memorial area there are two benches and a dedication pedestal. Texas rose granite was used
throughout the star, benches and pedestal.
Houston, Texas Located in the Houston National Veterans
Cemetery, the rose granite monument was designed by Sal Gambino and
dedicated on the 50th anniversary of the Korean War in 2000. The
members of Texas Lone Star Chapter of the KWVA, as well as numerous
other supporters, provided the funding for the memorial. The memorial
is dedicated to the more than 289,000 Texans who served in the Korean
War, as well as honoring the memory of the 1,723 Texans who were either
Killed in Action or Missing in Action in the Korean War. |
