Cherokee Nation to Dedicate Cherokee Warrior's Memorial
Rogan Noble, head of the Cherokee Nation's Office on Veteran Affairs, addressed the crowd at the Cherokee Warrior's Memorial groundbreaking ceremony in 2003. The United States Marine Corps helicopter will also be flown in at the memorial dedication this week on Thursday, November 10 at 10 a.m.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Cherokee Nation Office of Veterans Affairs will be holding a dedication ceremony of the new veterans memorial beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 10, at the Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex in Tahlequah.
Activities for the event include a U. S. Marine Corps 34D helicopter fly-in, posting of colors, a welcome home to veterans, and remarks by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith and Deputy Principal Chief Joe Grayson, Jr. In addition, there will also be a wreath ceremony and a performance by the Adult Cherokee Nation Choir.
According to Rogan Noble, benefits counselor for the Cherokee Nation Veterans Affairs Office (VAO), the planning and creation of the memorial has been years in the making, and that he and other veterans are glad to see the memorial open to the public.
The memorial, designed by Cherokee draftsman Marianne Biziano, is 100 feet across and has a 50-foot Cherokee Nation seal with a seven-pointed star in the center. The three tallest flagpoles fly the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action, the Cherokee Nation and the U.S. flag. The smaller poles fly the flags of the seven clans of the Cherokee. Lights illuminate the flags at night. The 6-foot by 12-foot granite wall centerpiece is inscribed in both Cherokee and English reading "A grateful Cherokee Nation dedicates this memorial to all Cherokee men and women, both living and dead, who have defended their families, their people, and their homeland."
Noble added that even though the memorial is now dedicated, the VAO will continue selling the bricks for the sidewalk at the memorial. Bricks can be engraved with a personal message, memory, or with a name and service branch. They can be purchased for $25 each.
All Cherokee citizens and members of the general public are invited to attend the dedication ceremony and activities. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to arrive early to witness the helicopter fly-in. For more information on the event, contact Noble at (918) 453-5695 or by e-mail at Noble
Link to Report
Special thanks to Cindy McWilliams for passing this on!
Background on Memorial:
Memorial nears completion, dedication
The Cherokee Nation Warrior’s Memorial east of the tribal complex should be completed in time for the Cherokee National Holiday.
By Travis Snell
Staff Writer
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - After nearly two years of work and waiting, the Cherokee Nation Warrior’s Memorial is almost complete and ready for dedication.
Rogan Noble, benefits counselor with the tribe’s Veterans Affairs Office, said work on the last of three phases began in July and was expected to conclude the first week of August.
The memorial, designed by Cherokee draftsman Marianne Biziano, will be 100 feet across and have a 50-foot CN seal with a seven-pointed star in the center. The star, with each point representing one of the seven Cherokee clans, will have a mirrored finish. The leaves surrounding the star will be two different colors.
Donated benches will encircle the seal, and 10 flags have been placed at the entrance of the memorial where the granite centerpiece will sit. The three tallest flagpoles fly the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action, CN and U.S. flags. The other seven are for each of the seven Cherokee clans so that families can pay tribute to their veteran family members. Lights have been installed to illuminate the flags at night.
A 6-foot-by-12-foot granite wall centerpiece will be inscribed in both Cherokee and English reading: "A grateful Cherokee Nation dedicates this memorial to all Cherokee men and women, both living and dead, who have defended their families, their people, and their homeland."
Phase 3 includes the laying of the large granite CN seal and engraved bricks as walkways and landscaping. The bricks were sold by the CN Veterans Affairs staff to fund the memorial and are inscribed with the name of a veteran, their branch and time or place of service.
"I think people are really going to be surprised when they see the final product. It’s not just going to be a big black tombstone-looking thing," Noble said.
He said he wasn’t certain of a dedication date, but he hoped a ceremony could be held before the Cherokee National Holiday scheduled for Sept. 2-4.
"I better not say an exact date because I would hate to miss another deadline, but we’re pretty sure we can have a lot of people happy on the holiday."
For the dedication, he said he would like to see marching bands, various reserve unit color guards, a Vietnam-era chopper along with tribal, state and federal dignitaries.
"We would like to have as many people as possible and as many Cherokee veterans to witness this event. That’s the plan now because it’s coming down to the finish line."
Noble said the tribe undertook the project because many Cherokee veterans weren’t getting proper recognition.
"Other than the thing they had at Sequoyah (High School) there was nothing there for Cherokee veterans. And if a Cherokee veteran didn’t attend Sequoyah then he wasn’t memorialized anywhere ... it was something we wanted to do and felt that was necessary. It probably should have been done a long time ago."
He added that when the memorial is finished, the VAO would continue to sell bricks to honor Cherokee veterans.
"We don’t want to leave anybody out. As long as there are people willing to go and protect their homeland, the memorial will never be finished."
Travis Snell, (918) 456-0671, ext. 2358
Travis Snell
Link to Report
Veterans Reports
Contents
Last updated on November 15, 2005