Veterans Park Amphitheater is a 2,500-seat

amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...

located in

Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in Southwest Geo ...

. It is part of a sports, entertainment and convention complex that also includes the

Albany Civic Center The Albany James H. Gray Sr. Civic Center (''Albany Civic Center'' for short) is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Albany, Georgia on the west bank of the Flint River. Opened in 1983, the arena is the only one of its kind in Southwest Geo ...

and

Albany Municipal Auditorium The Albany Municipal Auditorium is a multi-purpose auditorium located in downtown Albany, Georgia, U.S. The 965-seat, classic style auditorium includes an orchestra level, as well as first and second balconies and it was listed as "Municipal Audi ...

. From its opening in the mid 1980s into the mid 1990s, the amphitheater was an anchor for two major annual events in Albany; ''River Days'' in the spring and ''Fall on the Flint''. It is now primarily used for

concerts A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

and

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

and

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...

celebrations.

Vietnam War Memorial

In 1989, ''The Veterans of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Memorial'' was built and placed at the entrance of Veterans Park. John Griffin, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, came up with the idea for the structure and constructed the design. The monument was carved from a 24,000-pound block of Georgia granite and lists the 42 soldiers from Dougherty and Lee County who died in that conflict. John Griffin says everything from the drafting and designs, to the materials, and all the labor was done by Georgia veterans who served in the Vietnam War.

World War II Memorial

On November 11, 2013, a large Veterans Day crowd overflowed Veterans Park Amphitheater for the unveiling of ''The

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Memorial''. The Albany

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

Post 30 and the SOWEGA Veterans Coalition worked over two years on the project and decided not to put names on the memorial because they were afraid they would forget someone, so instead they listed all the significant battles of the war. Charles Nicholson, Post 30 Financial Officer & Project Officer, said the $19,000 massive granite monument (19 feet long, 11 feet tall and weighing 11 tons) was paid for with donations. "America has celebrated Veterans Day since 1919," Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard said during the dedication ceremony. "But we are here to celebrate the men and women who served, fought and died for our freedoms in World War II. This monument will stand as a reminder to the people of Southwest Georgia that the sacrifices of the men and women who served will not be forgotten."

References

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External links

Albany Convention & Visitors BureaudtownAlbany.comexploregeorgia.org
Amphitheaters in the United States Tourist attractions in Albany, Georgia Buildings and structures in Albany, Georgia