Memorial Day: North Bend Memorial Park

Each year we take a day to remember those who died in active military service. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May as flags line our streets and gravesites are adorned with flowers. For Rural Resurrection, it is a good day to look at how towns honor their local heroes through memorial parks. Not just to applaud towns for their good design of the memorials, but also for the effort it takes to fundraise and construct these memorials.

A couple of years ago I visited North Bend, Nebraska, in my research on how communities were impacted by the floods of 2019. While driving through town I came across the small community’s memorial park. The Morse Bluff North Bend Area Memorial Park is actually a very nice memorial park for a couple of towns that total up to about 1,400 residents.

Getting Started on the Morse Bluff North Bend Memorial Park

The concept of developing a memorial park in North Bend came about in 2002. A Veterans Memorial Park Committee was formed and committee members set to work to make it a reality.

The committee would rally residents around the project, which paid dividends. Jim Kruger, and his wife Sandra, donated the land where the park currently sits. Just a couple blocks north of downtown, the park is in a highly visible spot along Main Street there in North Bend. The Krugers also provided $25,000 in seed money to help get the idea moving.

They were also able to entice the help of local residents. Volunteers demolished and removed an old basement on the donated land. Then local farmers leveled off the lot to open the way for the construction of the park. Volunteers also helped set flag poles, planted shrubs and trees, and poured foundations for the statues and the sidewalks. They helped to lay the 2,400 brick pavers and assisted with the electrical and water connections for the park as well.

The Design of the Park

As committee member Doug Wamberg states, “The committee didn’t want to honor the wars, but wanted to honor those who served”. They reached out to Nebraska native and renowned bronze sculpture designer Fred Hoppe to design that vision. Hoppe has designed many other bronze statues including the ones at the University of Nebraska Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. He was also involved in the Higgins National Memorial Park in Columbus, Nebraska as well.

At the center of the park are life-sized bronze infantrymen who stand atop a central podium that is adorned with plaques. Surrounding the central podium are five additional life-size bronze statues that represent the different branches of the military.

At the front of the park, along Main Street, rests a bronze sculpture of a soldier on bended knee. It is modeled after Ralph Groten, a World War II airborne paratrooper. Groten was separated from his three closest friends after they jumped from their transport plane during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. In his search for his friends after three days of hard fighting, Groten came across the temporary grave of one of his friends. During the war, these temporary graves were marked with a helmet and dog tags on top of a gun, as depicted in the sculpture. He eventually found that all three of his friends had been killed. But a picture was taken of him during this emotional event. The picture would eventually serve as the basis for Hoppe’s sculpture.

For those who helped create the park, the sculpture represents a continual reminder of the high cost of freedom. Although the other sculptures memorialize the efforts of the veterans that have served the country, the kneeling soldier sculpture represents those who we have lost.

A Variety of Donation Options

With an estimated cost of $260,000 committee members set out in 2002 to raise the funds to build their dream. They expected the fundraising to take 10-15 long years to complete. But the committee reached $223,000 in funds raised by September 2005, just three years after their efforts began.

Funding came from a variety of sources, including grants, direct donations, memorials, and fundraising events. But what was notable was that the committee also offered a variety of donation options. They offered the ability to purchase shrubs, trees, flagpoles, and even help pay for the statues, with dollar amounts associated with each one. Like many other memorials, the committee also offered multiple levels of donorship that would result in the placement of an engraved brick for recognition. Dark-colored bricks would be reserved for servicemen and women. Lighter bricks for individual or company contributors, memorials, or other personal significance.

End Result

The end result was the construction of the memorial park that has been revered by many. It’s also a grand example of what teamwork from entities in nearby communities can do. Legion is from Morse Bluff, the VFW is from North Bend, and American Vets were involved as well. Representatives from each organization have had a hand in making the Morse Bluff North Bend Area Memorial Park a reality.

Provided below are a few pictures of the park as it was when I stopped in North Bend a couple years ago. Also, check out these documents on the park for more information:

• North Bend Morse Bluff Veterans Memorial Park summary by Cheryl Feala
• Morse Bluff North Bend Area Veterans Memorial Park Fundraising Packet

The Veterans Memorial Park Committee is still raising funds. With the park complete, the donations received typically go toward maintenance and utilities. But, as discussed in an earlier post about North Bend, the town is also recovering from the 2019 floods. So is the park. The flood impacted the grass and some plantings. If you wish to donate, please contact the North Bend Community Foundation:

North Bend Community Foundation

Bronze sculptures atop a podium adorned with plaques – North Bend Memorial

Kneeling Soldier – North Bend Memorial

Bronze sculpture representing each of the branch of military – North Bend Memorial

Bronze sculptures and bench. – North Bend Memorial

Bench – North Bend Memorial

Flag base – North Bend Memorial