The Onondaga Nation was proud to be part of the Wall of Honor Celebration. The Nation was a proud contributor of the Wall honoring the contributions of minorities during World War II. Chief Sid Hill spoke to the crowd and offered our Thanksgiving Address for those in attendance tonight and to remember all that have sacrificed so much.
Many veterans in the community gathered and thought of a way to have future generations remember the accomplishments of the “Greatest Generation”.
Wall of Honor Background
World War II was the war to end all wars… However, it did not end segregation, nor did it provide equality or recognition for minority veterans who served our country with pride and dignity. It is a fact that World War II Minority Veterans served in an environment of segregation and discrimination. They served in separate units, ate and slept in separate barracks, and were denied promotions. In short, they were forced to endure unfair conditions and practices while serving their country. It is an irony that these brave men and women were denied the very freedoms they were fighting for, yet they continued to serve, and did so, with honor. Following the War, their contributions were intentionally overlooked and ignored by media and the history textbooks.
The objective of this project was to establish a monument to inscribe the names of our “forgotten” veterans, living and deceased, as a testimony to their contributions to the World War II Allied Victory which paved the way for freedoms enjoyed by all Americans today, regardless of race, creed or class.
The Wall of Honor is located in the lobby of the Syracuse OnCenter, Syracuse, New York.