Pennsylvania has played a major role in American military history for more than 270 years, from the French and Indian War to our modern-day conflicts. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located in Allegheny County has ensured its residents will not forget the sacrifices their neighbors made by erecting military and veteran memorials and monuments throughout its county.
The narrated slideshow, Allegheny County Honors Its Military Heroes, takes viewers on a journey to explore several of the counties memorials, including the Southwestern WWII memorial, the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial, the Korean and Vietnam War memorials, and the Sewickley Cemetery that honors its veterans by placing American flags and veteran medallions next to the deceaseds headstone.
Though many of these memorials and monuments are honoring more recent wars, Allegheny County’s military history predates the founding of the United States of America. In fact, several major battles during the French and Indian War were fought right in the middle of modern-day Pittsburgh. In 1754 Fort Duquesne was built by the French; today that location is in downtown Pittsburgh and the entrance of Point State Park.
According to the National Park Service, Allegheny County lost 3,982 residents while fighting in WWII. Eight residents from Pittsburgh were awarded the Medal of Honor for their heroic acts during the war. Those Medals of Honor are on display at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum for everyone to see and read about the men who earned them.
Brave men and women protecting the United States aren’t the only contributions Allegheny County made during WWII, the county also played a vital role in fabricating military equipment and other important materials through their booming steel industry. Today, Allegheny County honors those soldiers, nurses and those who stayed behind to work in the steel industry with the Southwestern WWII Memorial located on the North Shore.
Pittsburgh’s North Shore is also the home of the Korean and Vietnam War memorials. There you will find beautiful statues honoring the Vietnam soldiers that never received a proper “welcome home.” The Korean War Memorial pays tribute to the women who paved the way for modern female soldiers and serves as a somber reminder that there are still 8,177 soldiers missing in action.
Allegheny County also pays tribute to all local veterans buried in local cemeteries by ensuring every veteran’s headstone has an American flag and a veterans medallion. The Sewickley Cemetery also has a memorial specifically for the Tuskegee Airmen from Western Pennsylvania. Right next to this memorial is the grave of Second Lieutenant Mitchell L. Higginbotham who died in 2016. This provides a personal connection for local yinzers.
These memorials and monuments provide residents and tourists a glimpse into Allegheny County’s rich military history and the overall contributions locals have made for generations.
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