WW2 Memorial at Washington Street Roundabout - Juction City, KS - World War II Memorials / Monuments on Waymarking.com

In the middle of a traffic roundabout where S Washington Street ends in a juncture with the access roads of I-70/US-40 and with Golden Bent Blvd, is a monolith with sculptures of WW2 US soldiers around it who are posed in various battlefield actions. On one side of the monolith, a rifleman is moving forward with rifle ready. A second side shows a radioman reporting to HQ what his nearby Lieutenant is saying. The third side shows a soldier holding up his wounded buddy as they move to safety. The fourth scene shows a military mechanic trying to repair the tread on a combat vehicle. These four scenarios represent real soldiers who were in WW2, each doing their part while in an active battle setting.

The monolith and its sculptures of soldiers in combat during WW2 are set in the center of a rock and concrete pentagon shaped setting in the middle of a large traffic roundabout. This roundabout is dedicated to the veterans of World War 2, although there is no plaque or marker or sign at the roundabout. The uniforms and the actions shown in each of the four settings are easily recognizable as vintage WW2 equipment, uniforms and actions. However, the Emporia Gazette ran an article on May 4, 2011 that highliged each scene was based on real active duty soldiers, each enacting a real combat setting they had been in.

The Emporia Gazette article featured the background of the two soldiers, one of whom was wounded. This sculpture was of Melvin and Milton Vahsholtz, twin brothers who served together in the same unit. Melvin was wounded when a mortar fragment hit him while both men were in a foxhole. Milton helped Melvin get to a medic. Later, toward the end of WW2, Melvin (who had previously been wounded) was killed in combat while in the Philippines. Milton was still alive in 2011 and was able to see the sculpture representing him helping his wounded twin brother.

With carefully vigilance to the traffic flow coming into, out of, or driving within this roundabout, a person can cross the street to get onto the center area of the roundabout and examine these sculptures up close. Please use extreme caution when trying to cross the street going and coming back!! Do this at your own risk. (There is a McDonald's at 1127 S Washington St, Junction City, KS is next to this WW2 memorial.)

Link to the Emporia Gazette article about the sculptures made for this WW2 memorial:
(visit link)

Date of Dedication: 05/14/2011 Property Permission: Public Access instructions: There is a McDonald's at 1127 S Washington St, Junction City, KS is next to this WW2 memorial. Location of waymark: near 1127 S Washington Street Junction City, Kansas USA 66441 Commemoration: US Armed Forces who fought in World War 2 Access times: Not listed Website for Waymark: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/04/2020 WayBetterFinder visited it