VFW accepting sponsorships for Remembering Our Fallen traveling memorial

National exhibit will be at Post 6768 from June 4-7

by Kathleen Steele Gaivin
The Remembering Our Fallen traveling memorial exhibit is coming to Northfield in June, thanks to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6768.

The photographic war memorial honors more than 5,000 service men and women who have lost their lives in the War on Terror since Sept. 11, 2001. The traveling exhibit includes 32 tribute towers displaying both military and personal photos and 310 American flags representing Ohio’s fallen sons and daughters.

A committee of six members has been working since last summer to put this together, according to VFW Post Commander Clint Ulrich. He said work began shortly after the Vietnam Traveling Wall left. The committee has been busy getting donations, figuring out logistics of travel and setup and reaching out to veterans and organizations that serve them.

Ulrich said the committee has reached out to the Gold Star Mothers of Ohio, inviting them to see the tribute to their sons and daughters.

“We want to make this as big as we can for the community,” the commander said.

Remembering Our Fallen has only existed for a few years, according to Ulrich, and this will be the first time the memorial comes to Northeast Ohio. The closest it’s come was Athens in southeast Ohio.

According to Ulrich, the war memorial honors not only those who were killed in action, but those who died after coming home as result of post-traumatic stress disorder that has led to many veterans’ suicides.

He expects the national exhibit to draw a crowd. Last year, as many as 2,000 people “from all over” came to view the Vietnam Traveling Wall during a 24-hour period. Donations from the traveling wall enabled Post 6768 to establish a foundation for the sole purpose of bring exhibits like these to the area.

Remembering Our Fallen will set up for four days, June 4-7. The cost to bring the towers to town is $8,500, plus added expenses such as generators and lighting.

To defray the costs, the VFW is selling sponsorships for the towers for $250 apiece. Sponsors will have their names on a 17-inch-by-22-inch plaque, which will be theirs to keep at the end of the event.

Post 6768 is asking the public to sponsor the American flags at $50 each. The sponsor’s name will be displayed on the flagpole along with a deceased service member’s name. Sponsors can choose the name of a deceased veteran or have one assigned by the VFW. At the end of the event, sponsors will receive their flags.

“The towers are almost sold out. Our thing right now is selling flags,” Ulrich said.

Grief counselors will be on site for those who need them, and religious leaders will say prayers at the event.

“We’re doing this the right way to make it somber. We’re not just throwing this together,” the commander said. For more information or to make a donation, contact Ulrich at 216-213-3309.

Feature image photo caption: Remembering Our Fallen, a traveling photographic war memorial, will make its first Northeast Ohio stop this summer at Northfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6768. Photos courtesy of Remembering our Fallen