Military Attractions

13. Ellis County Memorial
Ellis County Court House - 13th & Fort
Hays, KS 67601
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

This memorial at 13th & Fort honors the soldiers from Ellis County who gave their lives while serving our country. The veterans of Ellis County hold their annual Memorial Day Services at this location at 10 am and the American Legion Memorial Day Ceremony is held at 7 pm at the Veterans Memorial Park – 13th & Canterbury.

19. Fort Hays State University Walking Tour
600 Park
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-4206
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Admission: Free

Several markers on the campus of Fort Hays State University pay tribute to the Vietnam War, W.W. II and the Kent State/Jackson State tragedy. Click here for a map showing the location of the various sculptures including the War Memorial located near Picken Hall. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial Union at Fort Hays State University was held Feb. 12, 1957. The Union was dedicated to alumni and former students who died in combat in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The Union cost $851,600, but no state funds were used. A rededication took place on Oct. 1, 1983, to include the nine FHSU students who lost their lives in the Vietnam Conflict.

The various war memorials on the campus honor the sacrifices made by FHSU students and faculty in the four main conflicts of the 20th century: World Wars I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict. The Veterans Memorial between Sheridan Hall and Picken Hall was dedicated during Homecoming in 1998 as part of the university's pre-Centennial activities. Housed within its limestone panels are the remnants of the original World War I memorial, erected shortly after that war, from the same spot. 

Dedicated on April 11, 1986, a flower garden and gravel patio in front of the Memorial Union -- itself a memorial to the university's war dead -- has a pillar to honor the nine FHSU students who lost their lives in Vietnam. Inside the Union is a large wall plaque that lists the names of those nine, plus the five killed in Korea, 56 in World War II and 12 in World War I.

Also, at the south side of the Union, tucked away in a niche of the building, is another memorial sculpture, dedicated to the students of Kent State University in Ohio and Jackson State University in Mississippi who were killed during protests of the Vietnam Conflict.

90. Hays Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
2106 Vine
Hays, KS 67601
785-625-9940
Hours: T-Th 4-9 pm, F-Sat 4-10 pm, Sun 2-7 pm

38. Kansas Merci Boxcar & Veterans Memorial Park - at American Legion
13th & Canterbury
Hays, KS 67601
785-625-9681
785-625-3813
Hours: Guided tours available by appointment.
Admission: Free – donations accepted

The Veterans Memorial Park was started in 1993 in preparation of the Moving Wall display. The park features many trees, flowers, park benches and a circle of flagpoles. Over the years, additional memorial items were added to the park including a miniature replica of the Washington monument and a Korea-Vietnam M-60 A1 Tank. Guided tours available.

What is the Forty Et Eight?
La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux, an independent fraternal organization of Veterans, popularly known as the FORTY ET EIGHT, was organized in 1920 as the fun and honor society of American Legionnaires. Now composed of Veterans of both World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, it draws its origin from WW I when young Americans were sent to France to fight a war to end all wars. The narrow gauge railroads of France had boxcars (Voitures) that carried little more than half the capacity of American boxcars and these voitures were used to transport the men and horses to and from the fighting fronts. The capacity of each boxcar was stenciled on the side. Holding either forty men or eight horses these voitures became the trademark of the organization.

In February 1949, a merchant ship docked at Weehawhen, New Jersey to deliver its cargo of 49 railroad boxcars that were marked on the side "TRAIN DE LA RECONNAISSANCE FRANCAISE", and on the other side "GRATITUDE TRAIN". These boxcars were laden with gifts from the French people in gratitude and appreciation to the United States for the "Friendship Train" which the French people received from the United States on December 18, 1947. The "Friendship Train" which was loaded with carloads of food, medicine and supplies was sent to France to help the people recover after WWII.  The "GRATITUDE TRAIN" boxcars were marked with French letters "Hommes 40 (40 Men) and CHEVAUX 8 (8 Horses) indicating the freight load of the boxcar.

The "GRATITUDE TRAIN" consisted of forty-nine boxcars, one for each for the forty-eight states, and one for the District of Columbia to be shared with the district of Hawaii.  Each car contained gifts, artwork, and treasured items from the people of France.  The Kansas boxcar first arrived in Topeka in June 1949 and visited 120 communities before its last stop in Hays on November 11, 1949. A huge community celebration, parade and acceptance ceremony was held in Hays on that Veterans Day.

55. Walker Air Base Display
Forsyth Library
Fort Hays State University
600 Park Street
Hays, KS 67601
785-628-4431
Hours: Monday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. - Midnight
Friday 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. - Midnight
Summer hours: Monday - Thursday 7:00a.m. - 5:30p.m.
Closed Fri, Sat, & Sun

Admission: Free
http://bigcat.fhsu.edu/future_students/virtual_campus/sites/forsyth.shtml
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/KS/Airfields_KS_C.htm#walker

The model of the Walker Army Airfield that is on display at the Forsyth Library was completed in October 2000 by Fort Hays State University student Steve Arthur. The Walker Army Airfield was located in Ellis County, about 2 and 1/2 miles northwest of Walker. Although the land where the airbase was once located is currently on privately owned property and not open to public access, the road leading west from the town of Walker is a gravel county road that goes past what use to be the main entrance gates. The old abandoned smoke stacks, several remaining hangar buildings and many concrete foundations are visible from the road. The miniature airbase display shows the relationship of locations for several of the hangars, barracks, supply buildings and other structures that would have been located west of the main airbase runways.

In 1942, airfield sites with runways long enough to handle the B-29 Bomber were established at Great Bend, Pratt, Salina and Walker. The Walker Army Airfield began operations as a satellite field of Smoky Hill Army Air Field located in Salina. In this capacity, Walker was used merely as a spill over field in the performance of Smoky Hills' mission of processing heavy bombardment crews for over seas shipment. Land was purchased by the government from individual land owners and additional areas were leased from the Union Pacific Railroad for the location of storage yards. In planning the field, the water supply was a particularly difficult problem. Principally because this site was judged by the state's geologist to have the most difficult water situation of any spot in the state. A proven supply was made available from the City of Hays system located 12 miles away.

Construction on the Walker Airbase began on September 14, 1942 and within two months there was enough completed to allow for limited occupancy with the arrival of military personnel from the Smoky Hill Army Air Field. In February 1943, the airbase was given its own independent mission when the 2nd Air Force organized the 6th Heavy Bombardment Processing Headquarters. Later that year, training of B-29 crews for combat duty began and in August, the first B-29's were brought in for training purposes. The base was somewhat of a final staging area after crews had been assembled. The men came to the Walker Airfield to learn to work together for the bombing runs and practice gunning.  The training program of the 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing continued to be the mission of the airbase until September 30, 1945. With the victory over Japan in August 1945, the number of training stations were decreased and eventually, disposition of property became the main activity of the base during 1946. The base became officially inactive on January 31, 1946 and it was transferred to the U.S. Army District Engineers on December 19, 1946. 

To learn more about the Walker Airbase, we encourage you to see the memorial marker on the north side of the Hays Public Library. It pays tribute to the men and women who served our country at the airbase.  The Library and the Ellis County Historical Society Museum also have materials and photographs of the airbase. A framed painting of the Walker Base is at the Hays Welcome Center – 2700 Vine, and you can drive around the perimeter of the former airbase property just to the north and west of the town of Walker. Because this is private property, absolutely no visitor access is allowed, but from the county gravel road, you can see many of the building foundations, two hangars and other taller structures that are now crumbling and falling down. 
For more information about the Walker Army Airfield and the B-29 Bomber in Kansas, visit this website. www.shptv.org/b29/