Traveling war memorial pays
tribute to Indiana's fallen heroes
Henry Maday Jr. didn't know any of the deceased soldiers on the memorial but as a Vietnam veteran he said he felt compelled to pay homage to the service members that lost their lives fighting for the country.
“As a veteran I'm obviously very patriotic,” Maday said. “But it's jarring to be reminded of the people that lost their lives in war.”
Maday, of Cedar Lake, was the first person to visit Indiana's traveling war memorial, “Remember Our Fallen,” at the National Guard Armory in Hammond when it opened to the public Thursday.
The photographic war memorial continues to circulate throughout Northwest Indiana honoring the military service men and women from Indiana who lost their lives in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
After being at a Crown Point church last week, the memorial will be on display from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Monday before moving to Shelbyville.
Staff Sgt. Ashley Pool said the Hammond National Guard Armory is honored to be hosting the memorial wall.
“I think it's great to have a wall dedicated to Indiana fallen soldiers,” Pool said, adding that's it's important to give the families from around the area an opportunity to see their fallen service members' lives appropriately commemorated.
Mark Smith, American Legion Riders of Indiana and a Navy veteran, said the biographies and pictures on the memorial made him feel an emotional attachment to the service members.
“To come here and see the pictures of the people really brings something out of you,” he said. “Then to read a bio with their picture makes it really hit home.”
For Vietnam veteran and past commander of American Legion Post 168, Patrick O'Donnell, the memorial is a sobering reminder of the sacrifices that are required to make America “the greatest country on this earth.”
“When you think about this country and how good we have it to be able to go out and vote when other countries can't it's because these men and women have given their lives for our freedoms,” O'Donnell said.
Maday said he encourages everyone in Indiana to take some time and visit the memorial.
“It's nice that Indiana has this so we can take time out of our day to show our support.”
The Indiana Remembering Our Fallen memorial is on loan to the Eastern Seals-Crossroads, an organization in Indianapolis that takes care of its maintenance and coordinates its touring around the state. Indiana is one of the 18 states with a statewide traveling memorial.
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