Columbia Gardens Memorials

03/08/2024

03/08/2024

11/11/2022

08/07/2022

George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit,” now known as the Purple Heart, 240 years ago, making it the oldest U.S. military award. Today, we honor Purple Heart recipients and their loved ones for their service and sacrifice.

07/04/2022

Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸 in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress: http://bit.ly/2Kqy5tg

07/04/2022

Hope everyone enjoys a happy and safe 4th of July with family and friends! 🇺🇸🎆

06/14/2022

Today is !

The United States commemorates Flag Day annually on June 14, the date when the design of our first flag was officially adopted by the Continental Congress.

06/12/2022

Today is Women Veterans Day! We thank and honor the women who have served our nation.

Check out the Center for Women Veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (CWV) to learn more about U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, services, and programs dedicated to women: https://www.va.gov/womenvet/

06/07/2022

On the anniversary of D-Day, the western Allies’ amphibious and airborne landings along the coast of Normandy, France, in World War II, ANC honors Colonel James Van Fleet, who led the 4th Infantry Division’s 8th Infantry Regiment, the first unit to land on Utah Beach on June 6, 1944. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and a veteran of World War I, Van Fleet reached Utah beach with one of the initial waves of landing craft amid small arms and machinegun fire. He reported to Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt, who realized they had landed on the wrong beach made the important tactical decision, “We’ll start the war from right here.” In less than an hour, Van Fleet’s regiment shattered the German costal defenses, creating a breach for the rest of the division to pass through.

Van Fleet’s performance as a commander so impressed his superiors that in October of 1944 he was promoted to major general and given command of the 90th Infantry Division. In March of 1945, he took command of the III Corps, which broke through the beachhead along the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany.

After the war, Van Fleet directed the military advisory mission in Greece and Turkey, where he played a pivotal role in defeating communist guerrillas. During the Korean War, in 1951, he received a promotion to four-star general and replaced General Matthew Ridgway as the command the U.S. Eighth Army in the latter half of the Korean War. He grieved when his son, Captain James Van Fleet, Jr., an Air Force pilot, was shot down over North Korea on April 4, 1952, and listed as Missing in Action.

Van Fleet is buried in section 7 with his wife, Helen Moore. His son’s name is also on the headstone with the words, “Lost in Korea.” The back of Van Fleet’s headstone contains his philosophy of war: “The Will to Win,” and lists his commands. Surprisingly, instead of listing World War II, it simply says “Utah Beach June 6, 1944,” a testament to the D-Day battle that commenced his meteoric rise in the U.S. Army.

05/29/2022

In honor of Memorial Day, Mr. Michael Frueh, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), delivers a message ...