New Mexicans have a long history of participation in military service, so it’s appropriate that there be a local monument to honor the generations that have answered the call. To that end, a non-profit organization of volunteers has created the New Mexico Veterans Memorial on Louisiana Blvd near Kirtland Air Force Base.
We talked to JoAnn Hudson, who is on the board of directors, about the Memorial. “A group of people that were a combination of veterans and the community had gotten together and decided that they would like to have something that could be built to honor the veterans, especially the veterans of New Mexico, so they had started planning in the late 1990s and the first part of 2000. They created the New Mexico Veterans Memorial Foundation and acquired 25 acres for a park and a visitor center. There was enthusiastic support from the community in the form of donations and volunteers.”
The park has a variety of monuments that honor specific segments of veterans and their families. JoAnn says, “We work with different organizations that want to put individual memorials up. We have a tribute to women in the military who have their own memorial. We have memorials for Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Mothers, Submariners, Buffalo Soldiers, War Correspondents, Code Talkers...we have about 43 total now in the park. We have memorials for all conflicts from the Colonial War to the War on Terror. We have monuments to different facets of service...The Call, The Preparation, The Battle, The Word from Home, The Homecoming, and The Fallen Friend.”
The Memorial has event facilities for rent that help to raise funds to retain and improve the park. JoAnn tells us, “We have indoor space that can accommodate 153 guests, a full kitchen, a private courtyard that can host 400, and outdoor grounds that can seat 3,500 visitors. People hold reunions, conferences, banquets, weddings, retirements, family gatherings, and receptions...and we also have plenty of parking. We let some veteran groups, like the American Legion, use the space for meetings without charge. We also have an amphitheater for concerts and a parade ground for ceremonies.”
Visitors can also support the park with inscriptions and plaques. You can sponsor an engraved memorial brick, a memorial rose bush or tree with a plaque, or a bench with a memorial plaque. Sponsorship purchases are tax-deductible.
The New Mexico Veterans Memorial also supports other veterans’ groups. JoAnn tells us, “We just did a donation to the Fisher house, which is on the Air Force base. There are a lot of veterans who are in the hospital at Kirtland, and they come from Taos to Las Cruces, and their families can stay there and not have to pay for hotels.”
The Memorial has a library of over 6,000 books and hundreds of VHS tapes and DVDs pertaining to military history.
We found that a surprising number of local residents are not aware of the Memorial. We hope that our editorial will help to change that, and we encourage our readers to visit the New Mexico Veterans Memorial to experience its quiet and contemplative grounds.
The park is open 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Sunday. It is located at 1100 Louisiana Blvd, SE. Their phone number is 505.768.4495, and their website is https://www.nmvetsmemorial.org.
We have memorials for all conflicts from the Colonial War to the War on Terror.