MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – On this day in 1956, Memphis officially dedicated the Spanish War Memorial Park, home to a bronze statue known as “The Hiker.”
The statue honors veterans of the Spanish-American War, a conflict fought in 1898 that marked the United States’ emergence as a global power.
“The Hiker” depicts an American soldier in action, wearing the uniform and gear typical of those who served in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Versions of the same statue stand in cities across the country, but the Memphis memorial became a local landmark, recognizing Memphians who fought in what was sometimes called “America’s forgotten war.”…