Mile Square in Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
American Legion Mall
Indiana War Memorial Plaza National Historic Landmark
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 20, 2019
American Legion Mall comprises two city blocks and is the largest of the five-city block plaza. The actual mall is located at the north end of this part of the plaza. The plaza's overall design is reflective of The National Mall in Washington, D.C. and the City Beautiful Movement, a popular design trend in the 1920's.
The American Legion, itself was the catalyst for the Indiana War Memorial Plaza. The history of this plaza is inextricably connected to the history of the American Legion. The search for the national headquarters location led to the creation of this plaza as one of the greatest national tributes to our veterans.
The same tools that General John Pershing used in laying the original Indiana War Memorial cornerstone in 1927 were used in a like ceremony on May 6, 1949 for the enlarged American Legion Headquarters. A time capsule was placed inside and contains the following: a current edition of the Indianapolis Star, other city newspapers, facsimiles of several historic documents and a history of the War Memorial, itself.
Throughout the 1990's three monuments were added to the mall to honor Indiana veterans of World War II, Korean and Vietnam Wars.
★ Designed by Indianapolis architect, Patrick Brunner, the Korean and Vietnam Wars Memorial was added to American Legion Mall and dedicated at the Indianapolis 500 Festival Memorial Service on May 24, 1996.
★ The Memorial is situated at the south end of the Mall with the Vietnam War portion to the southwest and the Korean War portion to the southeast. The structure is segmented, 12-1/2 foot diameter, 25 foot tall limestone and granite cylinder.
★ Students of Lake Central High School, St. John, Indiana have provided the research necessary to assemble the veteran names and the poignant excerpts of letters on display.
★ The Vietnam War segment is slightly larger than the Korean War segment to comparatively display the number of Hoosiers killed or missing in action in each war.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, Korean • War, Vietnam. In addition, it is included in the Time Capsules series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 6, 1949.
Location. 39° 46.539′ N, 86° 9.456′ W. Marker is in Indianapolis, Indiana, in Marion County. It is in Mile Square. Marker is at the intersection of North Meridian Street and East North Street, on the right when traveling north on North Meridian Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Indianapolis IN 46204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 20, 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 130 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.