McCormick Park Veterans Memorial Expansion Project Progress

Project details updated July 1, 2019

July 1, 2019 Update: Veneer brick was added to the Veterans Memorial Wall and flagpole the week of June 24. The delivery of the four remaining granite slabs that list the names of WWI and WWII veterans who died in conflict or from a war injury, as well as the header slab for the memorial, has been delayed by the supplier. It is anticipated that the delivery and installation will take place prior to the 2019 Veterans Day celebration. Space has been left on one of the slabs that is already installed to list any additional names of veterans that might be uncovered in future research. 

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June 13, 2019: The City of St. Helens has partnered with VFW Post 1440 and other business and community members to expand the Veterans Memorial in McCormick Park. 

The base of the memorial wall has just been constructed. This wall will hold six plaques with the names of Columbia County veterans who died during conflict or from a war injury. Two of the plaques should be installed early next week with another four plaques to be installed in the coming months. A brick veneer finish will complete the memorial wall.

This Veterans Memorial expansion project was funded through an Oregon Parks & Recreation Veterans and War Memorials grant awarded to the City of St. Helens for $46,770, a $40,000+ contribution from VFW Post 1440, and monetary and in-kind donations from the City of St. Helens, Lower Columbia Engineering and community members.

The expansion project includes:

  • Increasing the footprint of the existing memorial to provide more room for Veterans Day ceremonies and other VFW events.
  • Installing a new covered seating area which will provide expanded seating options for disabled veterans.
  • Recreating the former monuments with additional names From World War I, World War II, and Korea discovered through additional research. 
  • Expanding the monuments that honor servicemen and servicewomen who were lost in world wars to include the names of those lost in more recent conflicts, including Vietnam and conflicts in the Middle East.