Bradford County Veteran's Memorial Park
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Our Mission
TO: Preserve the heritage of the men and women of each branch of our US military throughout the ages.
TO: Honor our nation and those who have sworn their lives to defend it.
TO: Bring overdue focus to all citizens of Bradford County who have served.
TO: Name the names, cite the battles, revere those who made the ultimate
sacrifice, honor those wounded in action, preserve the legacy of those who were Prisoners of War and never forget those who are still listed as Missing in Action.
TO: Present to the public a family oriented place of reverence using the finest materials, the best craftsmanship available and to blatantly cite the honor due
to all Veterans in this beautiful state of the art public park.
The core ideal of this project is the sacrifice of the individual common citizen who has worn the uniform of the US Military and who has diligently worked for the betterment of our country. This concept is the key to understanding the intricacies of the Park and its installations.
A Rotunda will utilize a five tier design and will house a unique bronze statue known as “The Quintessential Soldier.” This statue is how we see the ethereal embodiment of all who served and from all eras. The supporting legs of the rotunda will honor each of the five branches of the military with an emblem and the appropriate slogan.
Encircling the park we are placing individual monuments commemorating the five branches of the military. Here you will find history in the making citing slogans, hymns, dates and events.
There are many other features in this park, each has a story to tell and each will bring home our primary function; Honor, Prestige, Courage and Patriotism. Every thought and every innuendo shared will ultimately contribute to our prime directive; to preserve the Constitution of the United States of America and the legacy of a proud nation fought for by brave citizens protecting their loved ones safely at home.
Here on these "hallowed" stones we will list those heroes of yesterday who have paid the supreme sacrifice in defense of our nation. They have died - that we may live.
Message from the Founder
Joe Doherty
BCVMPA
570-596-3224 – joe.doherty77@gmail.com
18 April, 2018
My name is Joe Doherty, the originator, or “founder” of the Bradford County Veterans Memorial Park. For over eight years and during my retirement I have been the generator which fueled the fire in order to get your Veterans Park constructed. In as much as the property upon which we built the park is on land owned by The Towanda Borough, it has been dedicated to our Veterans, their families and you the general public. Thus, we say; “your park.”
I’ve been very fortunate to have attracted a select few persons to join me in this epic venture which celebrates our national heritage while bringing honor to all Veterans in our local communities. Without their help, care, corrections and ideas, well, to tell you the truth I just don’t know where we would be.
Fondly I remember taking that first shovel of dirt alongside Senator Gene Yaw and Mayor Garrett Miller. From that humble beginning we have pushed, cajoled, begged and filed forms to garner the necessary money to bring this project to its current position of “near completion.”
From the outset we made a promise to our supporters that throughout the construction phases of the project no member of our association will ever be paid compensation or salary for their efforts. We have been true to this original self imposed mandate.
Over the years we have publicized countless Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) via our local print, radio and TV media and in a spirit of true thanksgiving we thank them for doing so without cost. Each publication brought us closer to our goal.
We cannot offer this writing to you without thanking the many private citizens who have stepped forward to make a donation or to sponsor large and small pavers. Without their participation to honor a Veteran, the park would be moot.
If you visit the park you will notice that there are still some blank pavers. If a Veteran family member is not yet honored in the park that can be easily rectified by making a phone call to: 570-596-3224 or email us from our website: www.bradfordcountyveteransmemorialpark.com.
To the best of our knowledge and ability we have listed every member of the Armed Forces from our county who have suffered the supreme sacrifice (KIA), have been a Prisoner of War (POW), who has received the Purple Heart, or who has sadly been listed as missing in action (MIA). We have done this historic research and have found many names dating as far back as the Revolutionary War. Their names will be found engraved on the five Angels surrounding the statue called “The Quintessential Soldier.”
It is at this point where I must address the fact that this park is not yet completed.
To complete our mission is to further drive home the fact that the park is an honorable and spiritual tribute to our hometown heroes who have honorably served our Country. For this reason we purposefully designed a rotunda to provide an ethereal cover of spiritual veneration for the soldier statue and the Angels which surround it. The soldier statue is representative of every Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman and Coast Guard man or woman from our County who sworn an oath to protect our Constitution and bear arms to keep safe the homeland. In short, if you are a Veteran, that statue is a picture of you.
The Angels which surround the Soldier Statue hold scrolls in their hands while underneath are the names of real men and women from our County who fell into the above listed criteria; KIA, MIA, POW and Purple Heart recipients. They are especially honored. Medal of Honor winners are named on a separate monument.
The Rotunda will be built to encompass all of the Angels and the Quintessential Soldier under that aforementioned ethereal umbrella of spiritual protection. Centered at the peak of the rotunda is a dove placed into Plexiglas. This dove has a special connotation to us as it is representative of God’s Holy Spirit; or, if you will, it can be viewed as the dove of peace.
Our project was originally conceived in prayer. The construction of the rotunda will be the culmination of that prayer. I believe this to be of paramount importance especially during this era of tumultuous global times.
To help us achieve this final step, donations can be mailed to BCVMPA, P.O. BOX 208, TOWANDA, PA 18848 or call; 570-596-3224
Thank you and God Bless,
Joe Doherty for BCVMPA
Directions: Just click on the button below to get directions from your location.
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The park is located at the corner of State Route 6 and the Farley Connector,
near the Memorial Bridge in Downtown Towanda, PA
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Thank you for your Support!
Bradford County Veteran's Memorial Park
PO Box # 206
Towanda, PA 18848