On September 18, 1948, War Memorial Stadium, located at West Markham and Van Buren streets in Little Rock, Arkansas, was dedicated, honoring the 4,634 Arkansans that lost their lives during World War I and World War II. Former Marine Corps Major General Sid McMath, Governor Ben Laney, and others, were in the stands along with some 27,000 football fans. World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Maurice L. “Footsie” Britt delivered the dedication speech. When interviewed, McMath said that he had purchased the “first” bond issued to help build the War Memorial. He, along with many other Armed Forces personnel were on hand to dedicate one of the most important structures in the State of Arkansas. During the course of three expansions, the stadium, which was originally built for 31,000 fans, was enlarged to hold 53,727 fans. In recent years, restoration projects have restored the first 10 rows on both the east and west sides of the stadium. Total renovation has visited the north end zone concourse. The section known as “the crows nest,” located in the east side of the stadium, now has a mural of the United States flag and the words, “Honoring Those Who Served.” Multiple United States flags, donated in the fall of 2000 by the Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society of Little Rock, proudly fly around the stadium. A tradition was begun after that first game in 1948, where at least three games were to be played in the stadium annually; the lone exception was 1954. In 1969, a television-quality lighting system and Astroturf were added to the stadium. New layers of artificial grass were installed in both 1974 and 1984. The stadium returned to natural grass prior to the 1994 football season.