Veterans Memorial Visits St. Charles Area on National Tour

By Carmelo Turdo

The Veterans and Athletes United traveling Global War on Terror Memorial Flag was on display at Veterans Tribute Park in St. Charles County, MO last weekend during a local stop on the current national tour. The Memorial has been up and down the east coast this year, making its way to the St. Louis area and now on to the next location at the Missouri National Veterans Memorial in Perryville from October 19-26. 

The 28'x6' Global War on Terror Memorial Flag is constructed from over 7,000 dog tags containing the names of those who lost their lives in the War on Terror over the last twenty years. The dog tags are arranged in alphabetical order for veterans lost from September 11, 2001 through December 31, 2019. The remaining dog tags are in order of the date the service member was killed in action, including one representing Wentzville, MO native USMC Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz lost in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. The fifty gold stars honor the Gold Star Families who live with the loss of their loved ones every day. Along with the flag, the Memorial includes a mahogany Battlefield Cross sculpture created by military veteran artist Alicia Dietz. 

 

Veterans Tribute Park includes its own Memorial within the Veterans Memorial Garden. The Memorial contains the names of area soldiers who lost their lives in military service since World War I. Along the pathway to the Memorial, interpretive panels tell the story of military conflicts taking place from 1812, the founding of St. Charles County, to the present. The plants surrounding each panel represent those that bloomed at the conclusion of each conflict.

Veterans and Athletes United's mission is "To empower wounded, injured and ill veterans to fully live their lives and honor our fallen military heroes." Along with the traveling memorial, Veterans and Athletes United provides other programs for veterans, including accessible wellness retreats, adaptive sports and recreation and VetNet employment sourcing. The Aero Experience thanks Veterans and Athletes United for bringing the Global War on Terror Memorial Flag to Missouri, and we encourage everyone to make a tax-deductible donation to this very worthy organization.