Across Indiana
The Indiana War Memorial | Classic Across Indiana
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In this archival story, explore the history of the Indiana War Memorial Plaza.
The Indiana War Memorial Plaza features the city's centerpiece the Soldiers and Sailors Monument as well as the Indiana World War I & II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Memorials, the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Memorial, the Medal of Honor Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial, and the Indiana Gold Star Families Memorial. No state has a city with more monuments dedicated to veterans than Indianapolis.
Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Across Indiana
The Indiana War Memorial | Classic Across Indiana
Clip | 4m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
The Indiana War Memorial Plaza features the city's centerpiece the Soldiers and Sailors Monument as well as the Indiana World War I & II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Memorials, the USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Memorial, the Medal of Honor Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial, and the Indiana Gold Star Families Memorial. No state has a city with more monuments dedicated to veterans than Indianapolis.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(bright uplifting music) - [Craig] We drive by it every day and so many people don't know what's here.
And yet, people from around the world come to visit and are amazed at the elegance and the poignance of the facility.
(bright music continues) - [Narrator] By design, the Indiana World War Memorial was meant to be more than just a building.
It's a guide through history, a story of Indiana's war heroes and heroines.
With a mission like that, no ordinary design was chosen.
(bright music continues) - The architecture, exterior wise, is very, very much patterned after one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, of King Mausolus' tomb in Halicarnassus.
That structure abided for centuries.
It only was destroyed when the armed forces that were to defend it were defeated in battle and the victors dismantled it.
(bright music continues) - [Narrator] So in 1920, the Indiana state legislature decided to re-erect this lost wonder in the center of downtown Indianapolis.
(bright music continues) But this time the tower wasn't built for a king.
It was constructed to honor Indiana's veterans of the Great War, World War I.
(bright music continues) - I don't think any other city in the country can show a building like this owned by the citizens and available to all.
So this is a cathedral and just a remarkable structure and a true Indiana treasure.
- [Narrator] Construction on the memorial started in 1926 and the building's cornerstone was set in place on Independence Day 1927 by a hero from World War I, General John J Pershing.
The memorial was completed Armistice Day, 1933.
Today, the structure houses a war museum, the 500 seat Pershing Auditorium and the Indiana World War Memorial centerpiece, the Shrine Room.
It's a place that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
(bright music continues) - It's not at all unusual to have five or six groups of middle schoolers chatterboxing throughout the building, barely under control.
And as they come to the top of the stairs, you just hear a hush.
If they talk at all, they talk in whispers.
It hits everybody that way.
People whisper in here, which is a testimony to the effectiveness of the architecture that establishes this as a place of reverence.
(bright music) You know, most folks didn't serve so they would have a building created in their honor.
Most folks fought because they had a sense of duty.
(bright music continues) The point that veterans, I think, by and large carry with them, is it's important that people understand why we fought so that they can do their best to avoid having to fight again.
(bright music continues) - [Narrator] The building's lower level houses a free military museum.
Visitors can see displays of Indiana's involvement in wars and conflicts, from the Battle of Tippecanoe to the attack on the World Trade Center.
(bright music continues) - [Bill] Our entire museum is focused on telling stories about individual men and women from Indiana who served in the armed forces.
(bright music continues) - [Narrator] The memorial also symbolizes our country's commitment to perpetuate peace and liberty.
In this memorial, the concepts of valor and sacrifice have an emotional tug, even for people too young to recall American involvement in a war.
- [Students] To allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
- I find this to be the most remarkable testimony to patriotism and to better yourself.
- [Students] Liberty and justice for all.
(bright music) - This building is truly unique.
That's why it really does deserve to be preserved.
And I think it's a challenge we have as citizens of Indiana to maintain it so that it is here for centuries.
(bright music continues) - [Announcer] For more "Across Indiana" stories, go to wfyi.org/acrossindiana.
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St. Patrick’s Day brings fun, but it’s also a celebration of Irish culture. In 1995, Across Indiana (4m 27s)
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In 1993, Across Indiana producer, Titus Rush, visited a Hoosier buffalo farm. (5m 21s)
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Another Indiana?! In 1994, Across Indiana explored its surprising similarities to our own state. (9m 52s)
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No date on Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone! Let’s revisit 2006 to explore Cupid’s favorite holiday (4m 51s)
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In 1994, David Stoelk visited a Kokomo club where llamas dance too! (4m 26s)
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In 1995, Todd Gould highlighted how Robert F. Kennedy delivered the news of Dr. King’s death. (8m 36s)
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As Trump’s inauguration nears, Across Indiana explores presidents' notable and obscure health issues (7m 7s)
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In this classic episode of Across Indiana Titus Rush explores Ski World in Nashville, IN. (5m 20s)
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An elderly disco sensation shares the secret to his happy life. (5m 51s)
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The moment when Wabash, IN saw the light, before everyone else. (6m 1s)
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The Head of Christ, how an image born from creative desperation went on to reach billions. (9m 54s)
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From a quirky idea to a thriving business: the story behind The Bentcil™ Company. (5m 38s)
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Join Russell Levitt's beer journey in Bloomington on Across Indiana. (4m 38s)
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In this classic Across Indiana we explore the great squirrel invasion in Salem, IN. (7m 38s)
The Music Maker | Classic Across Indiana
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Saxophonist Jimmy Coe's fantastic journey from high school grad to jazz legend. (5m 20s)
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From church newsletter to vital Black newspaper, the Indianapolis Recorder's journey. (5m 12s)
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Historian Rea Ferguson uncovers the hidden Black history of Indiana's rural communities. (5m 12s)
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Explore Madam Walker's legacy and the iconic Madam Walker Theatre. (4m 41s)
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Remembering the pottery, simplicity, and unique perspectives of Richard & Marj Peeler. (4m 12s)
The Milkman Cometh | Classic Across Indiana
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Dave Stoelk walks in the shoes of one of the last remaining milkmen, Don France. (8m 12s)
Not-So-Modern Medicine | Classic Across Indiana
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The Indiana Medical History Museum holds many oddities from a time long gone. (4m 13s)
Crossing the Language Barrier | Classic Across Indiana
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In this 2006 episode, William Rasdell used photography and technology to celebrate life. (5m 10s)
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Hoosier history at risk! Archivist fights time to save Indiana's past. (7m 42s)
The Swiss Connection | Classic Across Indiana
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Berne, Indiana, was established by Swiss immigrants in the 1800s. (4m 17s)
Spirit of the Season | Classic Across Indiana
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In 1994, "Across Indiana" discovered the Twelve Mile Christmas Pageant. (5m 29s)
Murphy's Lore | Classic Across Indiana
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Join this Hoosier family in the age-old tradition of picking out the family Christmas tree (5m 17s)
Artist Leigh Dunnington Jones | Classic Across Indiana
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Artist Leigh Dunnington Jones makes unusual Christmas sculptures from unwanted materials. (5m 1s)
The Vanishing Hitchhiker | Classic Across Indiana
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Across Indiana re-creates "The Vanishing Hitchhiker", a Hoosier urban legend. (2m 55s)
Tell Helen I Found God | Classic Across Indiana
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Jack Cooper's words survive tragedy in World War II Pacific. (7m 58s)
The Pumpkin Man | Classic Across Indiana
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Check out Pumpkin Fantasyland, one of the country's biggest pumpkin farms. (6m 5s)
Jacoby's Light | Classic Across Indiana
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Does a ghost haunt the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre in Indianapolis? (5m 20s)
Haunted Indiana | Classic Across Indiana
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Across Indiana hosts a sampling of Hoosier Halloween stories from around the state. (3m 37s)
An American Hero | Classic Across Indiana
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World War I veteran Gus Streeter recalls his time in the service at age 105. (5m 46s)
Now PlayingThe Indiana War Memorial | Classic Across Indiana
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In this archival story, explore the history of the Indiana War Memorial Plaza. (4m 45s)
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Across Indiana is a local public television program presented by WFYI