We can do better.  If you look at the picture above, there are bricks missing and broken.  This isn’t what SGT Dan Brown’s father had in mind.  Jerry Brown was a frequent guest on my radio program as he scrambled to find money for the memorial.  When he was diagnosed as terminally ill, he worked overnights and in cold autumn rains to finish a labor of love.

It’s shocking not all of the spaces were sold and it’s depressing to now see how some have fallen into disrepair.

The dedication ceremony was November 12th, 2016.  I was there.  I witnessed politicians, military brass and most importantly, many of the families who have names of sons and daughters on the panels.

The bricks with personalized messages helped cover some expenses, I’m sure.  It’s shocking not all of the spaces were sold and it’s depressing to now see how some have fallen into disrepair.  We can do better.

The day before visiting the memorial at Gayle Forsyth Park, I attended the 9/11 remembrance ceremony a few miles away at Crossroads Point.  You can’t separate the two.  Brown dedicated his work to his son and all of those in Idaho who gave the last full measure after the terrorist attack.  One memorial remembers those who died on one terrible day.  The other represents America’s best and the sacrifice that followed.

Is there a bank account set aside for the Fallen Soldiers Memorial?  Where people could make contributions for continued maintenance?  Or do we need to establish an endowment?

I took a seat on a bench at the site and just listened.  In the distance you can hear birds whistling and the sound of some rare traffic passing.  It’s truly a moving experience.  We can do even better.

 

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