Lakewood Helps Relocate Living WWI Memorial

LAKEWOOD, WA — The City of Lakewood is recognizing two men who have helped preserve a living memorial to the thousands of American soldiers who died in World War 1.

The memorial in question is the Boulevard of Remembrance Oaks. Shortly after WWI, 500 oak trees were planted along the highway running from Fort Lewis to Tacoma, a memorial to those who served and died in the war.

But as the city explains, in the decades since the highway was expanded into I-5, and encroached upon the boulevard.

"Over time those 500 trees got whittled down very severely," says Michael Farley from the DuPont Tree Board. "A lot of the trees fell victim to the 'chainsaw-bulldozer disease'."

Now only 31 of the original 500 oaks remain standing. Fortunately, Farley and fellow DuPont Tree Board member Kyle McCreary have been working on a solution: collecting the acorns of the old oaks, and nurturing them to maturity.

"Kyle went out, and he got acorns from some of the surviving trees and he made sure he got acorns from all three species of those trees," said Farley. "Then he got reassigned to Hawaii and I ended up in charge of the project."

By teaming up with the City of Lakewood, the saplings have now found a new home at Fort Steilacoom Park, where they will continue to tell the story of the Americans who gave all they had for this country.