This week, the City of Broken Arrow begins construction on “The War at Home Memorial,” to memorialize the 22 veterans a day who are lost to suicide after they return home.
The project is a partnership with the non-profit organization Mission 22 and the Muscogee Nation. It will be a part of Veterans Park, 1111 S. Main St., near the new Veterans Center, which is set to open Tuesday, Aug. 24.
The memorial consists of 20 steel plates set in granite and features silhouettes of American veterans who lost their battle with Post Traumatic Stress. These 20 men and women are representative of the veterans we are losing every day to the fight here at home.
“Receiving the Mission 22 “War at Home” Memorial is an extraordinary way for our community to show our respect and to continue to create awareness of the battles our Military service members face when they come home. We must continue finding ways to reach those who have sacrificed abroad for our protection at home,” Broken Arrow Mayor Debra Wimpee said.
The War at Home Memorial was originally a mobile monument moving around the United States every two years to bring attention to this cause. Now, the memorial will be a permanent installation for paying tribute and raising awareness of the battles veterans often face upon their return.
“We are so proud to become the final home of these 20 silhouettes of our remarkable soldiers from all branches of the U. S. Military. I’m praying their families find peace when visiting their loved ones here. They will never be forgotten,” Wimpee concluded.
The project will be constructed by Magnum Construction at a cost of $221,402 and is expected to be complete in December 2021. For more information go to mission22.com.
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