Blyton Veterans Memorial Park

This small park displays many unique monuments to honor our Veterans.  Standing strong is a rare cannon taken from the Confederates during the Civil War by Mr. W. H. Farnham in 1867. A statue stands tall on a pedestal in memory of Donald Paul Radde, WWII soldier. Bricks engraved with Veterans’ names, branch of service and timeframe served were placed at the base of the pedestal.

A beautiful silhouette cut out of granite in the shape of a soldier, offers a view through the park. Pillars honor all Korean War, WWII, Operation Desert Storm and Gold Star Veterans.  “Welcome Home” is engraved along with a map of Vietnam with five military seals and POW/MIA symbol. A monument honors those that served in The National Guard and Reserves with the phrase engraved “Because you served you hold a special place of honor, respect, love and gratitude in our hearts. You held the American standard high with pride and made a difference.”

A separate monument in honor of local Sparta resident, Master Sergeant Floyd Trombley, a Korean War Hero. Trombley enlisted the US Army and served in the Korean War and Vietnam War. Although little is could be found about his history, he was awarded the Bronze Star. Trombley spent most of his 34 years of military service as a combat engineer.

As separate metal plate was created in memory of the men aboard the U.S.S. Maine. This ship was destroyed in the Havana Harbor in 1898, killing 266 of the 400 American Soldiers. The sinking of this ship contributed to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. The plate, which depicts the image of an angelic woman bowing down, was created from recovered metal of the ship.