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“This is a place that carries so much meaning to so many, and especially to our family,” said AuBuchon (BS ‘63, MS ‘71).
Her husband, the late Brig. Gen. Jim AuBuchon, led the campaign to build the memorial, which was dedicated on Memorial Day 20 years ago at 1909 S. Rouse. A paver in his honor was installed there, and a bench is engraved with the couple’s name.
“Visiting it is a way to be close to Jim,” said Cathy, who has included her two young great-grandsons in those visits. "They never met him, but they are learning about him, the meaning of duty, honor, and sacrifice as well as the privilege it is to be an American. We’ll never stop visiting the memorial!”
The memorial is on the eastern edge of the university campus and is open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
One of the most prominent features is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, a half-sized replica of the permanent memorial wall in Washington, D.C., created by John Devitt.
He was so inspired by the experience of the permanent wall that he was motivated to make three "moving walls” that crisscrossed the nation for a few years so others could have the same experience without needing go to Washington, D.C.; the one at PSU was the first of his walls to “retire.”
A kiosk and directory are available to help visitors locate names inscribed on the wall; they also can be located on the PSU Veterans Memorial website at psuvetmemorial.org.
A 250-seat amphitheater serves as a venue for special events and a quiet place to reflect.
The memorial also includes an entry rampart featuring U.S., state, and university flags and the five seals of the uniformed military branches, two impressive entry portals, an arch with an eternal flame, and patriotic bronze sculptures.
The 50 state flags are featured on the north berm. The plaza of the amphitheater and the entrance feature more than 3,400 engraved granite pavers that pay tribute to veterans and veterans’ organizations. New pavers are installed annually and are recognized in person during the Memorial Day and Veterans Day Ceremonies.
Lois Hardenbrook is one of hundreds of veterans’ children who feel a connection to the memorial.
“Having my dad’s paver at the memorial shows how very proud I am of him serving in the Army,” said his daughter, Lois Hardenbrook. “I believe that people who have placed pavers tell everyone how proud they are of their fathers, uncles, cousins, and friends.”
Her dad, Donald L. Gore, served in the U.S. Army, enlisting in 1933. He grew up in Chetopa and was in the mess hall at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed.
Later, he was deployed to New Zealand.
When he returned home, Gore worked for McNally in Pittsburg. He died in August 1977.
“Every time Veterans Day or Memorial Day comes around, remembering his service is more and more important,” she said.
Rhonda Buche McNelly feels the same way.
Her mother purchased a tree to be planted at the memorial, along with a plaque, in honor of McNelly’s father, George Buche, Jr. He grew up in Mulberry, Kansas, and missed his high school graduation to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
He was honorably discharged in St. Louis on Aug. 9, 1946.
"It is a beautiful memorial and it is nice to have him recognized there,” said McNelly, whose husband also is a veteran. “We go by there when we go to decorate the cemeteries every Christmas and Memorial Day Weekend, and always place flowers and a flag under the tree at his marker.”
Two of the most recent veterans to be honored with pavers purchased by their families are both Pitt State graduates – one deceased and one still living.
Arnold McAlpine (MSEd ‘49) served in World War II and Stephen Richey (BS ‘68) served 22 years in the U.S. Navy.
McAlpine was born in Pittsburg in 1915. Following his service, he attended Pitt State on the GI Bill. At the time, he was supporting his wife and four children and working as an orderly at what was then Mt. Carmel Hospital.
He went on to teach American history in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and taught and coached at St. Mary of the Plains High School in Dodge City and at Holy Savior Elementary School in Wichita. In 2023, he was honored posthumously by Wichita State University for his impact on young people as a teacher, mentor, and coach.
McAlpine died in 2010.
When Richey graduated, he faced the military draft for the Vietnam War and chose to join the U.S. Navy.
He trained at NAS in Pensacola and was stationed at Corpus Christi, Texas. When he earned his wings, he joined the “Hurricane Hunters” in Florida, later transitioning to the WP-3 Orion and the P-3 Orion – the squadrons focused on anti-submarine warfare.
Richey helped search for Soviet submarines and did reconnaissance of Libyan actions, and he deployed to Iceland and to Sicily.
He served 22 years, retiring as a commanding officer, and lives in Erie.
Kathleen Flannery, vice president for University Advancement and the person responsible for oversight of the memorial, said families or friends who want to honor their loved ones with a paver or who want to donate to the memorial in other ways may do so by calling 620-235-4762.
She encouraged area residents to pay a visit to the special site on Memorial Day or in the days leading up to it.
“Memorial Day is an important day to pause and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation,” Flannery said. “We invite you to visit the PSU Veterans Memorial at any time, day or night, to pay tribute in a way that is meaningful to you.”
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