Blue Star Memorial Highway A tribute to the Armed
Pierce County, Pierce County, Washington
Marker Inscription
Blue Star Memorial Highway A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America sponsored by Hill and Dale District of Garden Clubs in cooperation with Washington State Department of Transportation
Erected by National Garden Clubs, Inc.
The Story
The Blue Star Memorial Highway program began in 1945 to honor the armed forces that have defended the United States, taking its name from the blue-star service flags of World War II. Sponsored by the Hill and Dale District of Garden Clubs with the Washington State Department of Transportation, this marker stands in the Cascade foothills of Pierce County. It is one of many such tributes along the state's highways.
Why it matters
Blue Star Memorials braid civilian gratitude for military service into the everyday American road, sustained by garden clubs across the decades.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Connell's Priaire Battle Historical Marker
Pierce County, WA
In the autumn of 1855, as war flared between settlers and Native nations across Washington Territory, a party traveling from Camp Naches toward Fort Steilacoom was ambushed near this ground on October 31. Two of the seven men were killed in the fighting. The Washington State Historical Society erected this memorial in 1924 to mark the site of the clash during the Puget Sound Indian War.
Tacoma Dome Veterans Plaza
Tacoma, WA
When the citizens of Tacoma built their great domed arena in the 1980s, they set aside an adjoining plaza as a living memorial to the region's veterans. The dedication honors those who served in the armed forces across the generations and the successors who carry on that tradition. It joins the many community war memorials that anchor civic spaces across America.
Blue Star Memorial By-Way A tribute to the Armed
Enumclaw, WA · est. 2006
The Blue Star Memorial program was founded in 1945 to honor the armed forces of the United States, its name drawn from the blue-star service flags families displayed for relatives in uniform. Sponsored here by the Enumclaw Garden Club, this marker joins thousands placed along American highways by the National Garden Clubs. Set at the foot of Washington's Cascade country, it invites travelers to pause and remember those who served.
Auburn Patriots Memorial
Auburn, WA
Placed by a local service club in 1978, this memorial honors those who served their country in pursuit of freedom and peace, a civic tribute in the heart of Auburn. Community organizations like the Lions Club have long taken the lead in raising such monuments to honor veterans and the values they defended. It reflects the postwar wave of local remembrance across American towns.