When Vermont soldiers sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq, their comrades approached the Vermont Guard’s leader General Michael Dubie asking that a memorial be created in their honor at Camp Johnson. On September 11 this year, the new memorial was unveiled privately for the families of fallen soldiers. This past weekend, it opened to the public.
At its center is a bronze soldier kneeling. Before him is a helmet resting atop boots and a rifle: the iconic image of a fallen soldier. A stone wall arcs behind the statue, bearing plaques honoring each Guard member who’s died in combat in the past seven years.
Major Gregory Knight, who helped shepherd the memorial’s installation at Camp Johnson, explains what the site means to soldiers whose comrades were killed in action.
Photo: Patti Daniels