Montana's DAR Markers . . . Honoring Where History Was Made

to veterans in Montana. It was built to honor all who served in all
branches of the United States armed forces, in peace and in war.
The memorial was designed by Great Falls architect Gene
Davidson and largely built on volunteer labor. The local paper reported
that “The Red Horse Squad at Malmstrom and a Montana Seabees
Unit together contributed about $450,000 in volunteer labor.”
The Veterans Memorial is unique in that it makes a special effort to
honor Blackfeet Indians for whom around 200 tiles have been installed
to date. (Native Americans serve in the military at greater rates than the
national average, notably so for Montana’s Indian tribes.)
It is said that when General John Jay Pershing was stationed at Fort
Assinniboine near Havre, he bivouacked on the memorial’s site.
SOURCES
• Montana Senior News, “A Fitting Tribute to Those Who’ve Served: The
Montana Veterans Memorial in Great Falls,” Oct. 1, 2018
• The Great Falls Tribune newspaper, “Veterans Memorial Celebrates 10th
Birthday,” May 22, 2016
86