The Monuments of Downtown Indy

Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana, of course, and as such has many fine, old buildings that just smell of history.  We learned yesterday at the Indianapolis Speedway that downtown Indy is second only to Washington, DC, in the number of monuments, statues, and memorials.  So today was downtown Indy day.

Circle Park contains memorials to service personnel from Indiana that served in wars from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq and Afganistan conflicts.

One of the first dedications in the park, which covers 4 city blocks, was to the fallen soldiers of WWI.

The figures on top of the columns are plated in gold.  It was suggested that we not approach the monument itself as the site, including the surrounding grass area, was dedicated to the memory of the fallen.

At the other end of the park, difficult to see since it has been eclipsed by the Chase Bank building, is the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial.

As we walked toward the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, we passed by individual memorials to people from Indiana that had fought and died in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and both Mideast Conflicts.

Each monument not only listed each fallen Indiana soldiers' name, but also detailed the nature of the conflict, major battles fought, and significant dates during the conflict. Very moving and refreshed our sense of pride and honor.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument not only honors Indianans who have fallen, but also contains the Eli Lilly Museum, which has wonderful exhibits detailing Indiana's role in our country's wars from the Revolutionary War, through the Indian Wars, to the Spanish-American War, and on into the twentieth century all the way to the present, including the events of 9/11.

The first thing that you see in this structure that was built a 100 years ago, is the General Pershing Auditorium.  General Pershing had a long and illustrious career in the Army, fighting in Mexico and leading the American Expeditionary Force in Europe in WWI.  As an Indiana native, he holds a very honored place in the states' history.

As you step down into the Museum in the lower levels of the monument, you can't help but be overwhelmed at the sheer volume of exhibits. Displays include uniforms, letters, weapons and aircraft.  A complete room is dedicated to the USS Indianapolis, a destroyer that saw honorable service through WWII, including transporting the two atomic bombs that were used at Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  Unfortunately the ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine as it returned to the States from that mission, with the loss of hundreds of lives.  She sank in 12 minutes, without giving many sailors time to abandon ship.  Rooms and displays in the museum seem to go around in circles, and at one point Donna and I got separated somewhere between WWII and Korea.  Fortunately we were reunited near an exhibit of the transmission used in a WWII tank (made by Allison in Indianapolis, of course).

Up some 300 steps, the upper floor of the monument is a quiet place for reflection upon the sacrifices that our soldiers and sailers have made for so many years in so many far flung places.

With stained glass windows and subtle lighting, the enormous 60 foot high columns and huge American Flag made us realize just how tiny and fragile we are.  Donna and I sat for some time without speaking, contemplating the past and hoping for the future.

On a lighter note, we went looking for a building that we had heard about.  The original factory where Duesenbergs were made.  It's now part of the local transit authority site, and does not contain any memorabilia, but it was fun to see it.

Along with a building that once housed the Stutz Automobile Manufacturing Company, the Duesenberg factory reinforced the long history Indianapolis has with the motorcar.

A quick trip back to the Mug 'n Bun for lunch on our way home netted this pic:

What can I say to top that?