Local and state officials gathered recently in Highland Park in Rochester to announce that the Warriors of Freedom Memorial Committee has met its fundraising goal for a memorial that will honor the men and women from the Greater Rochester area who lost their lives in the War on Terror.
The memorial will be situated adjacent to the existing Greater Rochester Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In addition to a $250,000 state grant secured by NYS Senator Joe Robach, the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Chapter 20 made a donation of $30,000 to the Warriors of Freedom Memorial Committee.
The memorial will feature 10 concrete columns: 1 column each for the Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, Army & Marine Corps; 1 column for Prisoners of War/Missing in Action; and 1 column each for the Afghanistan War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and Desert Storm. The centerpiece of the memorial will be a life-sized, battlefield cross statue depicting the boots, gun and helmet of a fallen soldier on a raised pedestal.
The Monroe County Parks Department will perform routine upkeep and maintenance of the Memorial. For significant repairs needed in future years, the Memorial Committee will continue to raise funds for the Warriors of Freedom Memorial Endowment Fund.
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo said the memorial “honors that tradition and will stand as an enduring symbol of the immeasurable sacrifices made in defense of freedom.”
Robach said, “This memorial will be a fitting tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives for our nation fighting terror.”
“This memorial will be a beautiful setting for our family and friends to remember our son Jason and those that served with him,” said Rita & Dan Hasenauer, Gold Star parents and members of the Warriors of Freedom Memorial Committee.
