Hear Them Roar

By Amber Fossen, City of Springfield

Springfield is the proud home of the state’s first memorial dedicated to women veterans — one of only a handful of memorials in the entire country that honor the nation’s female service members.

The memorial — the design of which has been a closely held secret throughout its year and a half of development and construction — will be dedicated at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10. The Springfield Women Veterans Memorial is located in the heart of the new Springfield Veterans Memorial Plaza, which is at the intersection of Mohawk Boulevard and I Street.

The project was a collaboration between the city of Springfield and the Springfield Women Veterans Committee, with funding from state lodging tax funds and a grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

The centerpiece of the memorial — a bronze sculpture of a pride of lionesses — was done by artists Rip Caswell and Alison Brown, both of Campus Sculpture. The artists conceived the design after conducting interviews with many Oregon women veterans in an effort to capture the spirit of women in the military.

The bronze sculpture that serves as the centerpiece of the state's first women veterans memorial depicts a trio of lionesses. Artists Rip Caswell and Alison Brown conceived of the idea after interviewing numerous women veterans in an effort to capture the spirit of women in the military.

All veterans and the general public are invited to the dedication ceremony, which will include light refreshments and music. Please follow event parking signs or consider using the Lane Transit District (LTD) bus service, Route 18.

The Springfield Women Veterans Committee was instrumental in helping make the new memorial a reality.

The Springfield Veterans Memorial Plaza is ADA-accessible and serves as a space to honor those who have served our country. The plaza also features a memorial to Vietnam veterans and will be the site of future memorials.