The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation recently celebrated the official opening of the expanded Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and the new Semper Fidelis Memorial Pavilion during a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
The park expansion provides 22 new sites for memorials and monuments dedicated to honoring the Marines of yesterday and today and was made possible by Marine veteran, successful entrepreneur, and philanthropist Tim Day, his wife Sandy Day, and the Timothy T. Day Foundation.
“It is a true honor to celebrate the grand opening of the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park expansion in partnership with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. and Prince William County,” said Phil Brault, Consigli Construction Co., Inc. Director of Operations – DC “I am extremely proud of the work executed by our Consigli team and all of our local trade partners. The park’s expansion will help continue to preserve the legacy of the United States Marine Corps for generations to come and offer visitors a peaceful place for remembrance and reflection.”
Highlights of the expansion include the Semper Fidelis Memorial Pavilion, a sanctuary for quiet contemplation; one of the last Marine medium girder bridges constructed by the Corps and additional trails.
The park attracts visitors from around the world who explore trails lined with dozens of memorials through the woods of Virginia. Among these memorials are tributes to units, battles, women Marines, the Marine firefighters of 9/11, and the animals who served alongside Marines in battle.
The Marine Corps Museum Mile also utilizes the trails of Semper Fidelis Memorial Park to highlight the health benefits of physical activity and create a fun activity to engage visitors and encourage their repeated use of the trails. Distance markers are placed along the trail at ¼ mile intervals to guide visitors as they go.
The Day Foundation previously sponsored the Semper Fidelis Memorial Chapel in 2009 and the Timothy T. Day Overlook in 2015.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
