This memorial displays an oversized bronze statue of General Omar Nelson Bradley, one of America’s greatest generals of all time. Bradley was born in 1893 and lived in Moberly since he was a child. After he joined the military and was stationed in different areas, he returned home occasionally but always considered Moberly his home. He was in a series of assignments between WWI and WWII as a tactician. During WWII he led the largest American Force under a single man’s leadership.

What set Bradley apart from other leaders was the sincere concern he had for his soldiers. He was affectionately known as the “G.I.’s General.” After WWII, he headed up the Veterans Administration and was later appointed as the U.S. Army Chief of Staff with several appointments to follow up until his death in 1981. When this monument was dedicated in 1996, Bradley was the last five-star general in the history of our nation, a military status he still holds today.

Throughout the memorial are several pillars dedicated to Veterans of the WWI, Korean War, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, and those of the Military Police. A grey pedestal stands in memory of those that laid down their lives in WWI. A white statue on a pedestal of a soldier represents all those who didn’t make it home. Another monument is displayed for war dogs and the men and women who served as dog handlers. A separate granite monument stands for the county’s 1st Lt. Mark C. Gelina, who died in 2006 in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Veteran’s names have been engraved in bricks through the walkway. A bald eagle carrying an American flag, is carved into a tall tree trunk. Four pillars with the branches of service support a horizontal pillar, dedicated to Veterans who served and those that made the ultimate sacrifice.