Brownwood in Brown County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
World War I Memorial
Photographed by James Hulse, May 30, 2024
1. World War I Memorial
Inscription.
World War I Memorial. . This is the original World War I Memorial which was initially placed at the old Brownwood High School on Austin avenue (now the Family Service Center) in 1919. The old Brownwood High School was closed in 1961 when the current Brownwood High School was built. The memorial was moved to this location in 2016. There were 39 veterans from Brown County who died during World War I. Brown County sustained about one fatality every two weeks for the duration of the war. Of those 39 veterans, 26 died of disease. Spanish Flu and dysentery were rampant in the cold, wet trenches in France. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, which killed at least 50 million people worldwide, predominantly killed previously healthy young adults. American Legion Post 196 was named in honor of Isham A. Smith who was the first Brownwood resident to die in World War I. Isham A. Smith's brother, Joseph W. Smith, also died in World War I. The 36th Infantry Division trained at old Camp Bowie in Fort Worth during World War I. The 36th Infantry Division was originally comprised of both the Texas National Guard and Oklahoma National Guard. The 36th Infantry Division "T" patch insignia represented both Texas ("T" in olive drab color) and Oklahoma ("Arrowhead " in infantry blue color). After World War I, the 36th Infantry Division became exclusively the Texas National Guard "Texas Division".
This is the original World War I Memorial which was initially placed at the old Brownwood High School on Austin avenue (now the Family Service Center) in 1919. The old Brownwood High School was closed in 1961 when the current Brownwood High School was built. The memorial was moved to this location in 2016. There were 39 veterans from Brown County who died during World War I. Brown County sustained about one fatality every two weeks for the duration of the war. Of those 39 veterans, 26 died of disease. Spanish Flu and dysentery were rampant in the cold, wet trenches in France. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, which killed at least 50 million people worldwide, predominantly killed previously healthy young adults. American Legion Post 196 was named in honor of Isham A. Smith who was the first Brownwood resident to die in World War I. Isham A. Smith's brother, Joseph W. Smith, also died in World War I. The 36th Infantry Division trained at old Camp Bowie in Fort Worth during World War I. The 36th Infantry Division was originally comprised of both the Texas National Guard and Oklahoma National Guard. The 36th Infantry Division "T" patch insignia represented both Texas ("T" in olive drab color) and Oklahoma ("Arrowhead " in infantry blue color). After World War I, the 36th Infantry Division became exclusively the Texas National Guard "Texas Division".
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World I.
Location. 31° 40.667′ N, 98° 59.505′ W. Memorial is in Brownwood, Texas, in Brown County. It is at the intersection of Crockett Drive and Memorial Park Drive, on the right when traveling north on Crockett Drive. The marker is located at the northwest section of the Camp Bowie Memorial Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 2710
Regionally, this memorial is in Big Country. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
3. The original stone World War I Memorial is located in the middle of the markers
Credits. This page was last revised on August 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 233 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on August 18, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
