There has to be an artist, designer, someone who was involved with GWOT that could design something that speaks to those that were there.. I mean I get you're not going to be able to speak to everyone, but at least more than what has been proposed.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the proposed GWOT Memorial and trying to understand the vision behind it.
But the more I think about what a GWOT memorial should be, the more I find myself coming back to this photograph.
Because this picture right here speaks a thousand words.
To me, this is everything we should never forget about the Global War on Terror.
Three Battlefield Crosses for the men who came home draped in our nation’s flag.
Three young warriors kneeling in front of them whose lives would never be the same.
The fallen made the ultimate sacrifice, but the story of the sacrifices made by these three young warriors who stood up from that memorial and continued the mission needs to be told as well.
In my humble observation, there’s a beauty in that which I struggle to adequately articulate. The fact that these men took this moment, stood up with the weight of the world on their shoulders, and continued the fight tells a story about a generation of warriors who were heroes in their own right.
I don’t think this story is unique. In fact, I think it’s one of thousands.
That’s why this image resonates with me far more than the artist rendering ever could.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I don’t know exactly what the memorial should look like.
What I do know is that this photograph evokes more emotion, more sacrifice, more brotherhood, and more truth than that rendering ever will.
If we’re going to build a memorial to the GWOT generation, it should tell their story. 🇺🇸