War Memorials

The City of Worcester honors its veterans with memorials located throughout the city. Below is a collection of the statues, monuments and squares commemorating our veterans and the wars in which they served. Stay tuned for additional content and a more comprehensive look at the men and women who served our country.

Map of Our Memorials

Civil War

Located on the Worcester Common, the Soldiers' Memorial was built in 1874 by Randolph Rogers and honors the 4,000 soldiers from the city who answered the Union call during the Civil War. Four statues representing the infantry, artillery, cavalry and navy surmount the corners on rounded pedestals. The bottom course of stonework contains four tablets engraved with 398 names of war dead, arranged alphabetically below their service unit. The mid-level is adorned with four round medallions: President Lincoln, Governor John A. Andrew, a touching scene of a dying soldier in his comrade's arms, and an inscription at the front. The uppermost tablets depict the city seal, the United States seal, the Commonwealth seal, and a shield of crossed sabers in laurel wreath. A colossal Athena Nike (Greek goddess of victory) tops the column, sword upraised in right hand and a palm frond of forgiveness in the left. The four cannons, muzzles down to indicate the silenced enemy, complete a complex composition.

World War I

The Municipal Memorial Auditorium stands in simple grandeur,
an enduring tribute to those whose sacrifice was sublime,
a majestic memorial for the use and benefit of many generations.

Worcester Memorial Auditorium (also known simply as Worcester Auditorium or AUD) is a multi-purpose arena located at Lincoln Square in Worcester, Massachusetts. Built in 1933 as a World War I War memorial in the form of a multi-purpose hall, the Auditorium has a 116-foot-wide (35 m), proscenium. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as part of the Institutional District.

For more information visit www.worcaud.com

World War II

The City of Worcester honors its World War II Veterans in memorial locations across the city including:

The World War II memorial located on the Worcester Common was designed by Worcester-based Weston & Sampson Engineering, Inc., which donated their services to the project. The design features 78 water jets - two large jets for the two main theaters of World War II; six medium-sized jets for the six military branches; and 68 smaller jets for the 678 Worcester residents who died in the war - two granite piers engraved with the names of Worcester residents who were killed or missing in action during WWII and informational kiosks that highlight Worcester's contribution to the war effort.

Located at Lincoln Square, the Citizens of Color Honor Roll is a re-creation of an original monument displaying the names of 145 men and women of color from Worcester who enlisted through October 1943 to serve in the military during World War II.

The WWII Memorial at the corner of Lake Avenue and Hamilton Street in Worcester was built and dedicated in 1947. It pays tribute to 253 local WWII Veterans. These Veterans were called the "Greatest Generation" WWII Veterans.

Korean War

Phase I of the Korean War Memorial on Worcester Center Boulevard near Washington Station honors the 191 young soldiers from Worcester County who made the supreme sacrifice in the Korean War. A polished black granite wall is inscribed with the soldier's names. Thousands of people attended the dedication ceremony on November 9, 2003, which was the culmination of an effort that spanned decades.

Phase II of construction included bronze heroic statues of a Korea era American GI and a Korean child, representing the 100,000 orphans saved by the soldiers during and after the war. The child also symbolizes bright prospects for the future of Korea. In addition, Phase II included educational signs, additional flagpoles and a Walkway of Honor situated in a tree-lined setting. The walkway includes memorial bricks inscribed with the names of Massachusetts' fallen war heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf, as well as six American news correspondents who died in Iraq and Pakistan.

Vietnam War

The Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans' Memorial was dedicated in June of 2002 and is located at Green Hill Park in Worcester. This picturesque 4-acre memorial is comprised of three distinct sections, called "Places." Amongst these three sections you will also find a pond and fountain, walking paths, beautiful landscaping and inviting park benches. This truly is a place that provides a dignified, quiet, natural location for both reflection and learning.

The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial "Places" consist of the PLACE OF FLAGS, PLACE OF WORDS and PLACE OF NAMES:

The PLACE OF FLAGS is a beautifully landscaped, circular monument consisting of three flags: an American Flag, the State Flag of Massachusetts and a POW/MIA Flag.
The PLACE OF WORDS displays text etched in granite, taken directly from hand-written letters home by some of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who died while serving in Vietnam.
The PLACE OF NAMES lists all of the names of Massachusetts residents who died in combat or as a result of wounds received while in action in Vietnam, or are still MIA.

To learn more about the memorial, please visit the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans' Memorial website.

Vietnam Memorial aerial

Southwest Asia War

The Southwest Asia War Memorial, designated in 1993 and constructed in the City of Worcester by the Desert Calm Committee, Inc., is the official State monument for the Veterans of the Southwest Asia War. This monument on the Worcester Common is in memory of those who gave their lives in the Desert Shield/Desert Storm conflict.

The top, larger portion of the monument has the following inscription:

DESERT SHIELD 1990 / DESERT STORM 1991
TO THE
MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ANSWERED THE
CALL AND ESPECIALLY
THOSE WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES

The bottom tablet is inscribed as follows:

THE OFFICIAL STATE
MONUMENT FOR VETERANS OF
THE SOUTHWEST ASIA WAR