This 50th anniversary WW II memorial honors those Americans who left the security of their country and loved ones to protect the freedoms and human rights of all people. The thousands of paving bricks that line the walks at the memorial site were purchased at $25 each to help fund the memorial. Each brick is engraved with a name or message in memory of a loved one or friend, a fallen veteran, or a special time or place.

The memorial honors the risks taken and the sacrifices made by everyday Americans. It depicts scenes of a returning soldier with his child, Rosie the Riveter, a young boy gathering scrap metal, and a farm family with a folded flag representing the ultimate sacrifice.

The sculpture was first installed in Heartland of America Park in 1996, and the final group of bricks was placed on the site in October 1998. The complete installation was removed as renovation to the Gene Leahy Mall began, and relocated in 2019 to its current location in Memorial Park.