Thank you for all of the support! Please visit http://oregonwwiimemorial.com/ for more information about the Memorial and to continue to contribute. 

Oregon World War II Memorial

During World War II, 150,000 Oregonians from all walks of life served the country in Europe and the Pacific.  Thousands more contributed at home.  Their shared sacrifices and that sense of common purpose shaped the Oregon - and the America - we know today.  Those stories can continue to inspire us and future generations of Oregonians to think about what it means to come together for a single purpose.

Many of us have heard stories about World War II from our parents and grandparents - about the war in Europe and the Pacific and the hard work on the home front. But we were surprised to learn that Oregon is one of only six states that has not created a dedicated World War II memorial.  

Join us now to contribute to the Memorial and honor those stories!

(Portland City Archives, Shipyard workers, 1944)

Oregon’s enduring contribution to the war effort did not stop at sending more than 152,000 troops into combat zones around the world. On the home front, Oregonians worked in shipyards, organized war material drives, sacrificed by rationing, willingly participated in rolling blackouts and experienced the only attack and casualties to reach American soil. Their efforts transcended gender, class and roles.  Japanese Americans in Oregon were taken into custody by the FBI and DOJ immediately after Pearl Harbor while thousands more were sent to interment camps for the duration of the war.  Hundreds of these Oregonians also served in the Military Intelligence Service and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and worked on farms in Eastern Oregon.  

World War II touched every Oregonian, unifying communities with a calling bigger than themselves.  

 

(Oregon's Blanch Osborn on right)

When the war ended, hundreds of thousands of Oregonians returned home to civilian life. For many, the war years were enough adventure for a lifetime. They were proud of their accomplishments but rarely discussed their experiences, even with each other. They became once again, ordinary people, the kind of men and women who always have been the foundation of Oregon’s way of life.

(Oregon's Marsh brothers, WWII Navy and Army Vets)

Today about 20,850 of these extraordinary men and women who served in WWII remain in Oregon. Soon, the “Greatest Generation” will be gone. In true Oregonian form, we decided we needed to do something about that, particularly because more and more World War II vets are passing on each year. Then-Governor Kulongoski and the Oregon state legislature asked a great group of Oregonians to come together to commemorate and celebrate those shared sacrifices. 

Let's Build and Share

We’re close to being able to build Oregon’s World War II Memorial at the Capitol in Salem, but now we need your help to bring the memorial to life.  We want this memorial to be more than beautiful granite.  We want it to also be a gateway for the stories from at home and abroad during World War II.  Even though we are very close to our fundraising goal, there is still more work to be done and we need your help to make this last push for fundraising successful! We need to raise the money to collect the stories and share them through an interactive kiosk at the Memorial and online.  With your help, we can construct the kiosk and buy three “story kits” to collect stories from the vets and those who served at home and  and share these stories at the Memorial and virtually all over Oregon.

Let's all come together now to help finish the job.  Contribute now to make sure we do.

(The Memorial's 33 foot solid granite obelisk weighing 40,000 lbs. This is the actual center-piece of the permanent monument to be positioned on the grounds of the Capital in Salem.)

Women sort and package Victory Books at the Oregon State Library for shipment to servicemen. (Oregon State Archives)

(WASP pilot Hazel Ying Lee)

Honoring A Specific Individual through Your Contribution

You can specifically give in the name of a family member or friend or an individual or group you want to honor!  Once you click on the "Contribute Now" button in the upper right of this page, you'll be taken to pages where you can enter the amount you want to contribute, select from one of the perks, enter your contact information, and pay via credit card.  One you've done that, you'll see a "Thank You" screen.  There, click on the "change your visibility" link and you'll be taken to a screen where you can select "credited to another name" and you can enter whoever you want to honor in your donation.  

Perks

Anyone who donates at any level will get their name listed on the Oregon WWII Memorial website (http://oregonwwiimemorial.com/). Those who wish to remain anonymous will be listed as Anonymous. 

Drawing on inspiration from posters created during the World War II era, we've created postcards, posters, and t-shirts with the image below for this project.  

We also have a commemorative patch and a limited edition commemorative coin (see below) with an illustration of the Memorial and the Capitol. 

At the highest perk levels, we'll work one-on-one with you to help capture your / your family member's World War II memories and stories, through either writing, creating a storybook, digitizing your photos, or making a short, edited video of your story.  We'll contact you to make arrangements following the raise.

The Impact

Today about 20,850 of these extraordinary men and women who served in WWII remain in Oregon. Soon, the “Greatest Generation” will be gone.  We have possibly our last opportunity to make sure that all of us across Oregon honor their sacrifices and that we preserve their stories for future generations to come.  

(Oregon's Art Iwasaki, Commander, 442nd RCT)

Other Ways You Can Help

Even if you can’t contribute, you can still help!

• Help make sure we honor Oregonians who gave so much during World War II by telling people about this campaign. Share our video with them and send them to this page. 
• Use the tools here on Indiegogo to share with your friends, families, neighbors, coworkers - anyone you think is interested in preserving this important era in Oregon's history!

Press Coverage

Albany Democrat-Herald - Oregon WWII Memorial: Crowdfunding Campaign Underway to Raise final $55,000

Statesman Journal - New Campaign Launched to Raise Money for Salem WWII Memorial

OPB - Oregon World War II Memorial on Think Out Loud  

KGW -  Talk Box: Oregon World War II Memorial

Portland Business Journal - World War II Vets Deserve Salem Honor

Register Guard - Oregon World War II Memorial Centerpiece Tours Lane County

Tillamook Headlight Herald - Oregon World War II Memorial Honor Day at the Capitol

Albany Democrat-Herald - New World War II Memorial Paraded through Albany

NPR - Oregon Breaks Ground on New World War II Memorial

Statesman Journal - WWII Memorial Breaking Ground

Frequently Asked Questions

1. You've already raised so much of your goal.  Why crowdfund? 

Even though we're very close to our fundraising goal, we still need to raise the funds to complete construction and educational components.  In order to bring the Memorial to life and truly honor those who served at home and abroad, we need your help to make this last push for funding successful. With these funds, we'll  be able to collect Oregon's World War II stories and share them through an interactive kiosk at the Memorial and online.  And just as importantly, we want to build this Memorial in the WWII spirit - together.  This was a time when every Oregonian stepped up to do their part and collectively make sacrifices.  Now is our time to act again as a state and honor their legacy. Let's get as many Oregonians as possible to come together again in that same spirit.  

2. Where can I learn more about Oregon's involvement in World War II? 

There are many great resources about Oregon's involvement both abroad and at home during World War II, including oral histories, videos, and photographs.  See our Media Gallery for some of those resources.

3. How are you planning on capturing these stories?

Once we've raised these funds, the Historical Outreach Foundation will carry on the work of the Oregon World War II Memorial Foundation to conduct outreach, train volunteers, and record stories using "story kits."  By donating to this campaign, you'll help fund that effort!  The kits will include a laptop, scanner,and audio / video recording equipment. HOF will train staff and volunteers to be able to take the kit out anywhere across the state, interview people, enter information into  the Veterans Legacy Project (an online archive featuring thousands of military photos dating back to the Civil War) and scan photos right there.

(Elmer Etzel, Radio Operator from Oregon)

Thank you from the Oregon World War II Memorial Foundation Board of Directors!

So many people have already put in a lot of time, energy, and talent into making the Oregon World War II Memorial a reality.  We'd like to thank all of you who have done so.  You're helping preserve these important stories and honor the shared sacrifices of thousands of Oregonians.

Louis Jaffe, President / Treasurer - Retired financial executive.  US Army Vietnam War. 

Jim Willis, Vice President - Former Director, Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs.  US Air Force Vietnam War. 

A. J. Allen, Secretary - Retired Health Planner/Project Manager, US Department of Veterans Affairs,Northwest Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN20).

Bob Plame, Project Manager - Retired, US Marine Corps Vietnam War

Jerry Lorang - Oregon Coordinator, Project Healing Waters.  Former Director, Portland Regional Office, US Department of Veterans Affairs.  US Army 

Cameron Smith - Director of Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs. Past Senior Policy Advisor to Gov. Kitzhaber, Captain USMC (3 Iraq tours) 

Jack Heims - Retired Administrator, Portland VA Medical Center

Tim Brownleewe - President, Oregon Memorials

LTC Alisha Hamel - Command Historian, Oregon National Guard; Executive Director, Historical Outreach Foundation

Chuck Ferguson - Chairman, Oregon Memorials and GISI Marketing Group, Portland Or. 

Mary J. Mayer - Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel.  Vietnam War Veteran.  Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs Advisory Committee.