On the 20th anniversary of troops being deployed to Afghanistan, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran was joined by the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency (VSA), and local Veterans to break ground on a new war memorial to commemorate the military members that bravely served our Country in Afghanistan and Iraq. The new monument will be located at the Veterans Memorial Park in Eisenhower Park and will be the first on Long Island and one of the first in New York State dedicated to this war and honoring the seven thousand servicemen and servicewomen who perished during the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Over the past twenty years millions of men and woman have volunteered to serve our great Nation and protect our freedoms – many of whom did not make it home. All those Americans deserve our deepest gratitude and recognition for their service to our Country and with this memorial, we finally get to honor the next generation of Americans who have chosen to serve. Thank you to the Nassau County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars, Heroes Among Us and the other organizations partnering with us to make this monument a reality” said County Executive Curran.
In the past 20 years, over 7,000 US servicemembers have lost their lives and over 2.5 million Americans have served in both the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many of whom call Nassau County their home. The monument will honor those who served and those who perished in battle, but it will also serve as a tribute to the 30,000 post-9/11 veterans who have died by suicide. The memorial is being created in partnership with the Nassau County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars who will be fundraising for the project, designing and installing the monument. A rendering of the design of the monument was created by Maia Fernandez, 23-year old from Franklin Square.
“We are excited to have the assistance from our community to properly respect and honor our veterans in building this monument, which we feel was overdue,” said Virginia Cervasio, Founder of Heroes Among Us.
“As the County Commander for the Nassau County Council VFW I am pleased to be able assist with this important memorial. This monument is a tribute to our Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans, and this will be another way for us to engage with our fellow Vets and get them involved,” said Christian Peterkin, Commander for the Nassau County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars.