From: Gary Brannan
Hey Marines!
I thought I’d take a moment to inform/update those of you who may not be aware, of two excellent memorial projects that are planned for our area:
·        WWII Memorial to be erected in Wilson Park west of the Capitol building in Salem, and
·        Gold Star Memorial to be erected at Willamette National Cemetery to honor the lives lost in the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan
I encourage you to review the details & links below and do whatever you can to support these projects:
·        WWII Memorial in Salem:
Beneath a 33-feet-high obelisk (because Oregon is the 33rd state in the union), a world map will take shape with markers for major battles and theaters of operation. On a low wall along the corner bordering Cottage and Court streets, the names of the 3,757 Oregon service members who died in WWII will be engraved. Two black granite benches will invite visitors to sit and reflect on Oregonians’ shared sacrifice during wartime.  It is believed be the only five-sided obelisk in the nation. The memorial will be built with granite quarried in the United States and cover 75 x 75 feet of space in Wilson Park just west of the Capitol building.
Oregon’s civilian contributions to the war will be honored throughout the memorial. Memorials commemorating other wars have been installed in Oregon, but not for WWII. Veterans of that war have been quoted as saying, “I hope this memorial is done before I am.â€
http://www.oregonwwiimemorial.com/
http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/06/oregons_wwii_memorial_finally.html
Contact Info: Â Lou Jaffe, World War II Memorial Foundation, 503-296-0937,
ODVA Public Information, Â 503-373-2389
Email: Bob Plame (Marine): bplame@oregonwwiimemorial.com
Gold Star Memorial to be erected at Willamette National Cemetery to honor Oregon’s lives lost in the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars.
Over one hundred and thirty men and women from Oregon have died in action while serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002. The median age of the dead is 24. According to the Governor’s website these are Oregon’s casualties thus far in those conflicts:
137 Oregon Fatalities*
20 from the Oregon National Guard
1 from the Washington National Guard
2 from the New York National Guard
74 from the United States Army
3 from the United States Army Reserve
28 from the United States Marine Corps
2 from the United States Air Force
7 from the United States Navy
http://bluestarmothersoforegon.com/donations-2/gold-star-memorial/
Contact Info:
Terry Carroll
Chapter President
Blue Star Mothers of Oregon OR1
www.bluestarmothersoforegon.com
Email: bsmoforegon@yahoo.com