On June 5th, 1948, President Harry S. Truman came to Omaha and formally dedicated the World War II Memorial Park. The rededication of that same park is happening this Sunday, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., and all are welcome to attend. There will be numerous activities and demonstrations including a flyover, the Lincoln Parachute Skydiving Club show, Native American Cultural Experience drum performance, Vietnam Memorial Wall remembering fallen Nebraskans, WWII Reenactors and equipment, and much more.
Omaha Parks Foundation Executive Director, Tiffany Regan chatted with Mike Hogan on “Live & Local” about this 75th anniversary of Memorial Park and the work that went into getting the statue “Embracing Peace” to the park from May through November of 2023. This sculpture, “Embracing Peace” by famous artist Seward Johnson, resembles the iconic photograph of sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square on VJ Day. Seward created the piece to pay homage to the veterans of World War II. This artwork honors the memory of the past, reminding us of the sacrifice of a nation, and awakens a younger generation to a turning point in our nation’s history. Seward Johnson has stated, “I wanted to evoke a time of unity, a time without the divisiveness of today. The moment captured in the work encapsulates the spirit of having fought a successful campaign defending human rights, our shared values and that celebrates peace.”
More information about the event and the Omaha Parks Foundation is available at https://omahaparksfoundation.org/.
