If you have never visited the Veterans Memorial Center & Park then you are in for a real treat, this place is a hidden gem right on Sykes Creek in Merritt Island.
We can never thank our veterans enough but we can listen to their Stories of Service starting in the outdoor grounds Memorial Garden. On display are many artifacts including 2 Vietnam era helicopters, a AH-Cobra & UH-1 Huey, a Navy jet fighter and a Korean era Walker Bulldog Tank.
The new (November 2017) 6000 sq. ft. two story military history museum has a collection of military artifacts & memorabilia that spans the Civil through Afghanistan & Iraq wars. CHECK OUT the 1/4 ton 4x4 M151 Utility Truck commonly referred to as a JEEP that was used during the WWII and Vietnam War eras. The JEEP that is on display was used in a headquarters unit by a Brigadier General and was mounted with a 30 caliber machine gun.
Behind the building is a waterfront boardwalk with a beautiful view of Sykes Creek and depending on the time of year you just may see some frolicking manatees too!
The park/center can be super quiet or at times super busy as they have a banquet facility available for rent and are also the venue for popular fairs & festivals. Most notably though is they have awesome Veterans Day/Memorial Day ceremonies with special guests and speakers like Lt. Col. Danny McKnight of Black Hawk Down tragedy.
http://veteransmemorialcenter.org/
IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE...Cache is ONLY available MONDAY thru SATURDAY from 10:00 to 4:00 and SUNDAY from 12:00 to 4:00.
The facility is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.
Cache was placed with permission by Ray Norman.
To avoid a wasted drive to this cache, it might be wise to call first and make sure they are open? The phone number is 321-453-1776, Ext 4 is the direct line to museum.