CONTRIBUTED – Within our small town of Elizabethton, Tennessee lies a gateway to the past, being the Carter County War Memorial in the main stretch of downtown. It may not appear to your everyday person to be significant, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. This memorial that many of us walk/drive past every day is a memoir of the past, documenting the fallen soldiers from our area who served in conflicts that included World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and others.

The source behind this memorial is the Elizabethton/ Carter County Veterans War Memorial Committee, who is led by Deacon Bowers. At first, this monument was merely an idea that managed to gain a large support within the community, with donors contributing financially that were able to produce nearly 250,000 dollars. The memorial itself was dedicated on Veterans Day in 2002, being a popular spot for many to observe the holiday that this monument is meant to honor.

In regards to the names inscribed on these black bricks, the latest known number of Carter Countians on the wall, including people who died in combat or as prisoners of war of the conflicts the United States was fighting during the 20th and 21st centuries, was 258 people. In total, there are nearly 5,700 names on the wall to this date, nearly taking up all of the allotted bricks that was built in the first place. Through application, loved ones can be added to this wall with payment of 100 dollars to Elizabethton City Hall.

As citizens of this region, we should take pride in those who sacrificed their lives to fight towards our freedoms, whether they were a Carter County Citizen or not. Although the War Memorial in town may be one way that we honor those who have fallen in the fight for freedom, we can still live in their memory and be mindful of what sacrifices were made to be where we are today.