For those who served —
Mckinley County Courthouse pillars honor area veterans

A pillar depicting names of veterans stands at the McKinley Courthouse Square. [photos by Brian Leddy / Independent]

By Karen Francis
Staff writer

GALLUP — Twelve pillars in Gallup ’s Courthouse Square tell the story of the bravery and courage of veterans from McKinley County. On the pillars are names of 1,396 area people who served in the military.

The pillars which have been up since 2006, recognize service of McKinley County residents. The Veteran Memorial and Park Committee accepts applications every year from veterans who wish to have their names included. Those eligible include any veteran living in McKinley County or who was inducted in Gallup.

The applications are available at Gallup City Hall. Documentation such as DD-214 discharge papers and proof of residency is required with each application.
The committee submits the names once a year to the artist who designs the pillars and he puts the new names on them. For last year, 103 names were added to the panels of seven of the pillars.
Rippy Bryan Williams is one of the veterans who was listed recently on the pillars. He hasn’t even seen it yet but is looking forward to seeing his name.
“I just thought it would be cool. It’s nice that Gallup has something like that,” he said.
Lisa Baca Diaz, one of the committee members, said she often goes to the memorial to admire it and to watch the people who visit.
“I frequently hear comments from visitors to our community on the lengths that Gallup has gone to honor its veterans with construction of a beautiful facility,” she said.
The pillar shape was chosen with input from veterans, Baca Diaz said.
The committee felt the wars listed on the pillars needed to be extolled because a significant number of people from the area served in those wars, she added.
Pillars honor those who served in the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf wars, the Korean War, World War II, and World War I. There are also pillars to honor Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi Miyamura, the Navajo Code Talkers, and those who endured the Bataan Death March. Four more pillars recognize veterans, killed in action, missing in action and prisoners of war.
Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, who was persistent in requesting legislative appropriations from the state to make the memorial, said that honoring veterans is extremely important.
“It represents what our country stands for. To me it’s one of these things where we have these people who have defended us and our way of life, protecting our freedom, and they absolutely need to be recognized,” she said.
Lundstrom said former Mayor John Pena was the one to set up the committee which received the marching orders to come up with something to honor the veterans.
“We have enough space here to do about 20 more pillars,” she said. “But we have to get the funding. Each pillar is about $20,000.”
Information: 726-2612.