Category: Military Landmarks & Memorials

N 5th St and E Washington St
Arma, KS 66712
(620) 347-4125
armakansas.org

Built shortly after World War II, the Arma Veterans Memorial honors local veterans through the joint support of the City of Arma and the Arma American Legion. The American flag and four flags of the armed forces – Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines – stand in front of the building. The memorial also includes a plaque representing the names of local veterans who have served the United States in war.

Arma also holds an annual V-J Homecoming celebration in recognition of veterans, with concurrently held alumni reunions and outdoor activities for families to enjoy.

The idea for the Veterans Memorial came after W.W.II. The American Legion wanted something to honor local veterans. The City of Arma did the construction. The structure was built shortly after the war. The City takes care of all the maintenance as well as adding any new names. Recently the City installed four new flags along with the American Flag. The 4 flags represent the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The Legion paid for the materials and the City will take care of the flag replacements. The names on the plaque represent local veterans who have served our country in any war. Arma’s V-J Homecoming which began in 1946 celebration started as a way to honor veterans returning from World War II it has evolved over the last five decades into a family festival. VJ Day was August 15, 1945, the day the victory over Japan was celebrated by the Allied nations. In early August, the United States unleashed the secret weapon – the atom bomb- and devastated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Rumors of peace began to circulate but many Americans feared that a final battle with Japan was inevitable. However, on the evening of August 14, the rumors were confirmed: Japan’s army agreed to lay down its arms and throughout the Pacific guns fell silent. There was a sense of collective relief when the impending invasion of Japan was unexpectedly cancelled by the advent of the atomic age. On September 2, 1945, on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, the Japanese finally signed the official surrender document. Americans commemorated the official end of World War II with the first observance of V-J Day – “Victory Over Japan”. That Labor Day weekend marked the end of almost four years of devastation, loss and sacrifice for the nation. More than 300,000 Americans in the armed serviced died in Europe and the Pacific arenas. The very next year Arma celebrated it’s VJ Day in connection with homecoming activities and the VJ Homecoming Celebration was born. It has been said it is the oldest running VJ Day or WWII celebration in the country. This tradition has gone on since 1946. It celebrates the return from the war for local veterans. Each year the celebration is held the second week-end in August.