If you are ever in the Little Rock/Sheridan area, the B-17 Memorial Park is a great roadside veteran memorial worth visiting! Located in the middle of what seems like nowhere is the most pristine and memorial site. Since my mom and I enjoy visiting veteran and memorial parks, we have certainly visited a plethora all over the country in our travels. Yet, we were extremely impressed with how well-constructed and well maintained this park was, especially since its location being so far off the main highway.
Located about five miles north of Sheridan, B-17 Memorial Park is the work of a very determined group of individuals that wanted to preserve a moment in history. The park is unique from other veteran memorials as it is the actual crash site of the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress in 1943. Thus, why it is located in the middle of a field and back off the road a couple miles.
The story behind the crash is nothing fancy, but certainly warranted quite the investigation. Apparently, the B-17 bomber was based in Smoky Hill Airfield in Salina, Kansas. It was set to depart from Kansas, head to Morrison Field in West Palm Beach, Florida, and then make its way to Europe to help fight in World War II. The bomber departed Kansas on March 12, 1943, and headed toward Florida. While enroute to Florida, the nine airmen aboard experienced the bomber violently vibrating. When the crew encountered a thunderstorm, the pilot was forced to decide to turn back around toward Kansas or make an emergency landing in Little Rock, Arkansas. When their flight path was changed toward Little Rock, one of the bomber’s engines caught fire and explored in mid-air. As a result, the crew lost their lives and the remaining pieces of the bomber crashed in a wooded area at the park’s location. It took less than three hours of total flight time for this unfortunate ending.
Apparently, a military investigation found service records on the bomber that reported this particular B-17 had significant mechanical problems. Two engines had been replaced a couple weeks earlier and two other engines were scheduled to be replaced. Such problems were known to cause failure and a high possibility of crashing, which resulted in it being condemned for flight to Florida by the United States Army.
Yet, the base was eager to catch up with the previously deployed squadron that had left for combat in the war. So, the fateful decision was made to have nine airmen fly it to Florida for repairs, even with the current mechanical problems. Afterward, they were to fly to Europe and reunite with the rest of their squadron. Unfortunately, this decision resulted in a loss of a bomber and nine men, some of which had a family waiting for them at home. While another B-17 could be sent across the ocean, a person’s life can never be replaced.
The military investigation placed a lot of blame for the crash on the pilot and the thunderstorm. It is still unknown, and probably hard to determine, if the crew knew about the condemnation of the bomber or not. However, family members of some of the airmen did report that conversations weeks before the flight expressed concerns and fears that mechanical problems would result in their deaths.
A year later, a stone memorial marker was erected on March 10, 1944, at the crash site in memory of the nine airmen aboard the B-17 bomber. Over time, the marker had been forgotten about and nature had started to cover up the marker. With the forgotten and lost marker, memory of the crash had even become forgotten.
Forty years later, Jerry Jackson and his father stumbled upon the marker while walking in the woods. Jerry was so moved by the memorial and its historical significance that he made it a part of his Eagle Scout project to restore the marker. He was still working with the Grant County Museum to restore the memorial and crash site when he died in a car accident in 1986 at the age of sixteen. The project that he started was continued by the American Legion in collaboration with other volunteers and sponsors.
On October 12, 2015, the B-17 Veterans Memorial Park was opened. It was constructed to honor the crew of the Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress, but the county wanted to honor all local military personnel that died in war. So, the memorial also honors Civil War veterans killed at the Battle of Jenkins Ferry, and those killed in action in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and American veterans of the past and present.
Very well designed, constructed, and maintained, this park seems to be out of place in the middle of a field. Upon entering the park, you are greeted with the original memorial marker. Attached to the other side of it is a plaque that honors Jerry Jackson for his passion, determination, and dedication to restore the area in memory of those who lost their lives in war. In the center of the park is a life-size replica of a B-17 bomber that is quite fascinating. “Dummy” personnel were placed inside to give a better representation of its use and make it more life-like. Around the bomber is a very lovely short walking trail with informational plaques and an audio tour that is available to learn more information on the crash and the airmen. You can listen online at Sheridan B17 Memorial Park – Sheridan B17 Memorial Park (stqry.app).
At the back of the park is a black granite wall containing the names and information of the airmen in the crash. Dedications and speeches are held here in honor and respect of our military personnel, as well as other events. American and military flags line the bomber fencing and surround the memorial park, showcasing an ambience for honoring our military. Off to the rear side of the park is a pavilion with a little picnic area, which is the perfect place to celebrate a veteran’s birthday or special event.
The B-17 Memorial Park is quite an experience. It is both family friendly and pet friendly – please just clean up after yourselves and your animals. The American Legion, Daughters of the American Revolution, and all the other collaborators and sponsors certainly did a fantastic job at erecting a worthy memorial to the nine airmen and all our fallen soldiers.
The Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress crew:
Second Lieutenant George Davis (pilot)
Second Lieutenant Robert Turchette (co-pilot)
Second Lieutenant Leo E. Dolan (navigator)
Second Lieutenant Phillip Niewolak (bombardier)
Technical Sergeant Dewitt Tyler (engineer)
Technical Sergeant Peter Ivanovich (radio operator)
Staff Sergeant Arthur Potter (waist gunner)
Staff Sergeant David Secorski (ball turret gunner)
Staff Sergeant Kenneth Cain (tail gunner)
What was your impression of the memorial when you visited?