National Wake Island Memorial - Bristow, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 49.725 W 096° 24.354
14S E 734329 N 3968061
The National Wake Island Memorial is located at VFW Post 3656.
Waymark Code: WMZXKT
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 01/19/2019
Views: 1
On the west side of Bristow at Country Club Drive and Wildflower Run, VFW Post 3656 has their meeting house. Just east of the building is a large War Memorial park with numerous individual static displays and dedications. On the west side of this area, adjacent to the parking lot is a large memorial to the Marine, Naval and Army Air Corps men who defended Wake Island in December 1941. The memorial was dedicated on November 10, 1984 by VFW Post 3656.
The memorial consists of a border of 13 flagpoles in front of which stand three tall granite monuments. The center monument has a large circular seal showing Wake Island Memorial and the words:"THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO THE FOLLOWING SO THAT THEY MIGHT LIVE IN INFINITY ALONG WITH THE DEFENDERS OF THE ALAMO, PEARL HARBOR, GUADALCANAL, IWO JIMA AND BELLA WOODS / Naval Air Station, Wake Island / 8 December 1941 - 23 December 1941".
The three monuments are dedicated to
- Marine Detachment / First Defense Battalion / FME Wake Island / Marine Fighting Squadron 211 of Marine Aircraft Group 21
- U.S. Naval Patrol Wings One and Two
- U.S. Army Air Corps / Pearl Harbor Defense T.H. Wake Detachment
Each monument is engraved with the names of those in the detachment. Those with a Star are those who were killed in action or died in POW camps.
In front of these monuments are two artillery pieces, and a low stone wall with specific information about battles, their strength, personnel, and outcomes. A granite monument is dedicated to the Wake Island POWs, and six various sized shells are on display.
This is a very detailed and well-done memorial and worth a visit.