Have you heard about Zachary McBride? He was an Oregon neighbor of ours who was killed in Iraq on January 9, 2008. Specialist McBride was killed with five other soldiers when a bomb exploded while they were on patrol. He was only 20 years old when he died.
Zach didn’t ask to go to Iraq. He went because it was his duty to go with his unit. Zachary is one of the 105 Oregonians who have died, so far, in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The death of 105 Oregonians weighs on my soul. As a Vietnam vet, I stop and think of my fellow soldiers, who served with honor and who never came home alive—many, like Zach, were young men and women who never had families of their own. When I left for Vietnam, I had my son, Scott. He was just a toddler. Scott now has children of his own.
I was one of the lucky ones. I think of the fathers who left their sons and daughters forever—children who were too young to remember their Dads. Freedom is not free. The price of freedom for some was paid with their own blood. Wars are declared by our nation’s leaders in the Capitol, and they are fought by young men and women, who leave their homes, accept their responsibilities as Americans and do their duty. More than 4,000 Oregonians have died in combat since Oregon’s statehood in 1859.
These are Oregon’s fallen heroes, and we must never let them be forgotten. Memorials have been erected in many Oregon cities and towns…some large, some small, and all of them invite their visitors to spend a few minutes in humble silence, honoring our neighbors, friends and family members who died in distant lands fighting battles over which they had no control.
Southern Oregon needs a war memorial to honor our fallen heroes. To create such a memorial, I have joined with other patriotic citizens in organizing the Oregon War Memorial Development Committee. Its goal is to ensure every one of Oregon’s fallen heroes is remembered and recognized by name—every one is an individual who is dearly missed by family, friends and fellow citizens.
The proposed war memorial will be a beautiful, permanent memorial honoring our servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives in defense of Oregon and the USA. In addition to our state’s veterans who have died and will yet die in the Afghanistan & Iraq Wars, this Memorial will honor our fallen heroes from the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea, WWII, WWI and all previous wars since Oregon became a state in 1859. Residents and City leaders have proposed locating the Memorial within Central Point’s soon to be constructed, Don Jones Memorial Park. This park will be built next to the Central Point Cemetery on Hamrick Road. Medford architect, Gary W. Breeden, has designed the Memorial.
This park-like Memorial will have an outer-ring of six monuments —one for each branch of U.S. military service. In the center there will be a majestic pedestal displaying a bronze American Eagle, plus an inner-ring of flags—one for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and National Guard. At the Memorial’s center will fly a lighted American flag. The courtyard of flags will be paved with bricks engraved with names to memorialize loved-ones the purchaser would like to honor.
In addition to the monuments, flags and walkways, the Memorial will be professionally landscaped with shrubbery, plants, flowers and trees. At the end of the Memorial a circular, covered pavilion will provide shelter for those who come to sit, ponder and enjoy the peace and beauty of the memorial site and park.
I am extending an invitation for you to join me, in making the Oregon Fallen War Heroes Memorial a reality. We often say, “We support our troops,” and this is a chance to show it. Our help is needed to build this great memorial. Please join us—the organizations, volunteers and individuals who are contributing to pay for it. If each of us would donate a personalized paving brick [Click here for the Buy-A-Brick Form] for $100, it would help. If you or your organization could donate more… $1,000 for a tree, $5,000 for an all-weather bench, $10,000 for the pole and flag for your honored branch of the military, or $25,000 to construct one of the six monuments listing the names of your military branch’s fallen heroes, it would be wonderful. [Click here for the Categorical Contributor List of Donations Form and click here for the General Donation Form]
The bottom line is this…to qualify for a State war memorial grant, we need to raise at least $40,000 by February 1st.
The entire cost ($180,000 - $250,000), must be raised by the ground breaking for this memorial on Memorial Day 2008. Please help us make this noble and honorable project a reality. We would love having you stand with us at the Oregon Fallen War Heroes Memorial’s dedication on Veterans Day in November 2008.
What more can I say…except to thank you in advance for your support and your financial contributions to this worthy project to honor our Fallen War Heroes. Together we can make certain these young men and women are never forgotten.
Should you have questions, please call 541-664-0191 or go to: www.oregonwarmemorial.com.
Sincerely,
Dennis
Richardson
State Representative
District Office
55 South 5th Street
Central Point, OR 97502
Tel: (541) 601-0083
Fax: (541) 664-6625
E-Mail: rep.dennisrichardson@state.or.us
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