A year ago, the site was overgrown, full of downed trees, broken benches, and dirty monuments. The turnaround has been led by State Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman (D., Chester), who wanted not only to clean the park, but also to ensure that it would be maintained and even upgraded.
The grove opened in the 1960s, with an acre devoted to each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Every plot contains an obelisk with the state's seal and a list of its native sons who were awarded the Medal of Honor. (All but one of more than 3,400 recipients have been men.) Many of the original fiberglass obelisks have been replaced with markers made of stone indigenous to each state. Pennsylvania's obelisk, for example, is black granite.
In addition, scattered about each acre are small markers with details about the heroes: name, rank, branch of service, where and when the action for which they were honored occurred. Of course, where the action took place is often where the person died, as most Medals of Honor are awarded posthumously.
A year ago, underbrush hid many markers. No longer.
Take a walk through today, down the lanes and into the wooded area. There's a quiet solemnity to the grove, with the obelisks giving the feel of a memorial garden or cemetery. Wander off the paths, into each state's acre, to read the small markers. History is all around, from the 1860s, when the medal was created, to the 1990s and Somalia, the last time the markers were updated.
Famous Civil War battlefields are represented, including Bull Run, Gettysburg, Antietam, Vicksburg. But heroism wasn't limited to those sites. Also mentioned are places like Hatcher's Run, Va., and Fort Blakely, Ala., plus many more.
