COLLEGE STATION, TX — Memorial Day is a federal holiday held annually on the last Monday of May. It is also day to reflect on the sacrifices men and women make every day to serve our country.
For generations men and women have sacrificed their life for the freedom of those to follow. Today we honor them.
The Brazos Valley veterans memorial was dedicated to former president George H.W Bush in 2002.
The memorial allows veterans like Lieutenant General Randolph House, the president of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial to share with others what memorial day is all about.
“Memorial day is about those that didn’t come home,” he said.
“A very solemn day, very sad in a lot of ways,” Steve Beachy added, a member of the board of directors for the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial
Lt. Gen. House served in the Vietnam and Persian gulf war, on days like today he holds those who he lost close to his heart as he looks back.
“I spend it thinking of the soldiers that I lost in combat and you know my memories of their faces 18, 19, 20 years old,” House shared.
Steve Beachy shared how fulfilling it is to see the community engage with the life-sized bronze statues and learn the history of our service men and women.
”The service members throughout history provides us with the opportunity to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” said Beachy. “And you see that out here every day those fundamental principles of America,”
The location of the wall of honor overlooks the athletic fields. Beachy and house both shared how it perfectly represents what our service men and women sacrifice the opportunity to live in freedom, harmony, and happiness.
”The Brazos valley veterans memorial board is accepting applications for names to be added to our wall of honor right now we have over 6,000 military names and their loved ones of Brazos Balley residents,” said Lacey Lively, the chief information officer for the Brazos Valley memorial board. “The whole goal of the Brazos valley veterans memorial is to be here for generations to come,”
You can submit a loved one's name until August 15th. It will cost $150 to add a name, this covers lifetime maintenance. If you're interested visit BVM.org to locate the application. Those newly added names will be recognized at their annual Veterans Day ceremony.
The board members plan to continue adding to the veteran sites as history continues, they plan to continue honoring the soldiers who serve this country.
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