TYNDALL AREA VETERANS MEMORIAL

Tyndall American Legion and VFW posts developed the concept of constructing a memorial to honor Veterans, and it was eventually completed in 2001. 1,200 local Veterans who served from 1861 and forward are honored on nine granite monuments. The memorial includes meticulously etched pictures of war scenes.

Colonel Robert Taplett, of the Tyndall area, served in WWII. He later commanded the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines during the Korean War, leading them through Seoul to liberate the South Korean State House. In 1950, American forces were outnumbered nearly five to one by the Chinese. Through extreme harsh, bitter-cold conditions, he led his 1,300-man unit to clear the road, allowing the chance for escape. Though most of them paid the ultimate sacrifice, their actions allowed 326 marines to get away safely. Taplett was awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest award for sailors and marines who demonstrate exceptional heroism in combat. Taplett chronicled his Korean experiences in his book “Darkhorse Six” after he retired from the Marines.