When the outcome of World War II was still in doubt, Lulu Broad, the owner of the Gypsy Tea Shop, wrote a letter to Henry Doorly, the publisher of the Omaha World-Herald, and suggested that the city build a memorial to honor the fallen.

Without her initiative, the city may not have one of its signature parks. What sparked the idea were the women experiencing profound loss who visited her shop to have their fortunes read in tea leaves. Moved by their suffering, Broad wrote that letter in 1944. Doorly endorsed the idea and recruited Robert Storz, whose family founded Storz Brewing.

Storz lamented the 12-year struggle it took to raise funds for a World War I monument in Omaha. While the original plan was for a monument to be displayed in Elmwood Park, it wasn’t until 1937 that a scaled-back monument was finally dedicated at Turner Park. In order to establish the memorial, the WWII Memorial Park Association was formed with Storz as its president in 1944. The intent from the beginning was for the citizens and businesses of Omaha to fund the memorial. Storz invited every business to contribute $5 for each of its employees who served in the war and $100 for those who were killed while serving. In a subsequent radio address, he said the park would serve as a “sacred spot, not marred by commercial activities or any other distraction to disturb its tranquil peace.”

His fundraising campaign proved successful, with more than 3,000 individuals and organizations pitching in the money needed to purchase, construct, and landscape the site. At Broad’s suggestion, the association selected a site near the University of Omaha and across from Elmwood Park. The city agreed to use 23 acres of condemned land from the Dundee Golf Course, which Broad considered an eyesore. The remaining 42 acres were purchased from the Dundee Realty Company. In 1945, Leo A. Daly was hired as the chief architect for the planned war memorial and John Caspar Wister of Philadelphia as its landscaper and horticulturist.

With its entrance at 60th and Underwood Avenue, the memorial was dedicated in a ceremony featuring President Harry Truman on June 5, 1948. In his remarks, he said “The men who gave their lives did so because they believed, as I believe, in an ideal. That ideal is peace in the world for all of the world.” Many in the crowd were Gold Star family members, and by his side was Ed McKim of Omaha, a close friend from their days serving together in the Army. McKim’s 22-year-old son, Marine Lt. Eddie McKim Jr., was killed in the war and left behind a wife and infant son. His name is listed on a plaque directly behind where the two men stood. At the dedication, Truman also noted that a tree had been planted in his honor.

The park symbolizes the community’s gratitude to Douglas County veterans and those killed while fighting for freedom. Located at the highest point is its most recognizable feature, a shrine that recognizes the men and women of Douglas County who lost their lives while serving in the war. It consists of a semi-circular colonnade of seven arches. Above each arch is a branch of the U.S. military. Bronze plaques on the columns list the names of over 900 people who died during the war. In front of it is an American flag that stands at the center of a circular flower bed that was originally a reflecting pool. Gradually sloping downwards from the memorial at the center to Dodge Street on its southern end is a large lawn with trees on either side.

Along with the shrine, one of the park’s most distinguishing features is the flowing S-curved steel bridge constructed as part of the city’s pedestrian bridge program, which allowed children to safely cross busy streets while walking to school. The program, which became one of the biggest in the country, saw at least 19 bridges built, the first of which was at 42nd and Grover Street. This one connecting Elmwood Park and Memorial Park was built after the parents of St. Margaret Mary’s pushed for it. Completed in 1968, named Most Beautiful Bridge by the American Institute of Steel Construction in 1969, and designated as an Omaha Landmark in 2004, it remains the most utilized of them all.

The park has seen a number of changes over the years. Among these are the addition of new monuments to recognize the service and sacrifices of veterans in subsequent wars. Flowers replaced the reflecting pool, which required caretakers to put on rubber boots every time they needed to raise or lower the flag at its center. A rose garden installed by the Omaha Rose Society in 1959 replaced the peony garden. The Woodmen of the World flagpoles were added along the driveway in 1990. Most recently, a 2,500-square-foot plaza was installed between the stairs leading to the memorial in 2023. This solved one of the park’s longstanding issues by allowing for a flat seating surface and additional gathering space.

Since 1987, it has been the site of a free summer concert and fireworks show that is now hosted by the City of Omaha. It attracts people from all over and features some of the country’s most well-known musical acts, which over the years have included Ringo Starr, Roger Daltrey of The Who, Sheryl Crow, The Beach Boys, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Temptations, Wyclef Jean, and 311, among many others. The 2026 concert will be held on June 26 and features Smokey Robinson with special guest Cake.

In some respects, it serves as a traditional park where one can picnic, fly a kite, walk a dog, toss a frisbee, sled, or just sit back and people-watch. It’s also become so much more than that. To be sure, it is a place where people celebrate together, as demonstrated by its summer concert series, perhaps the city’s biggest community event. Its central location and visibility also make it the city’s civic front yard. It is the place where we gather to mourn and make our voices heard. It’s a fitting use for a park that was formed out of grief.

Omaha Exploration, 2026. All rights reserved. Excerpts and links are welcome with full credit given to Omaha Exploration and a link back to the original content.