Memorial Puts Faces To Names Of Those Who Died In War On Terror

TAMPA, FL — After receiving a ceremonial escort into the city by a Tampa Police Department motorcade, a memorial honoring the nation's military who died in the Global War on Terror is now on view at MacDill Park on the Tampa Riverwalk, 100 N Ashley Drive.

Residents can drop by and view the "Remembering Our Fallen" Thursday through Saturday during daylight hours and Sunday from sunrise to late afternoon when the exhibit will be dismantled and transported by truck to Mesa, Arizona, to be reassembled for display.

The photographic memorial includes 32 "tribute towers" containing military and personal photos of more than 5,000 military men and women who have died since Sept. 11, 2001.

Hosted in Tampa by the CRISP (Commitment, Respect, Integrity, Service, Pride), a Tampa nonprofit organization, the memorial travels around the country to remind Americans of the sacrifices made by those who died in or died from wounds suffered while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A group of volunteers, including members of CRISP, Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 552 at MacDill Air Force Base and Tampa Fire Rescue, installed the traveling memorial Wednesday morning. Since then, it's attracted a steady stream of visitors, including Craig Gross, the Gold Star father of Army Cpl. Frank Gross, who died in July 2011 from an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

"They say a soldier will die twice — the first time when they're killed in action and then the second time when people quit mentioning their name and forget their sacrifice," said Gross.

This memorial, the only one to put names and faces to the military men and women who gave their lives from Sept. 11, 2001 to Aug. 30 when the memorial was assembled, means his son and fellow soldiers won't die a second time, said Gross, pointing out the pictures of his son on the memorial. "So this is very, very important."

Chris Reed, chairman of CRISP, said the tribute has brought tears to the eyes of visitors around the country.

"All the photos — more than 5,000 of them — are very impactful," he said.

They include fallen members of the military shown in formal photographs in uniform as well as candid photos spending time with their family and friends.

"It really puts a face to those who made the ultimate sacrifice," Reed said.

Not all the men and women whose photos adorn the memorial died in the Middle East.

Patriotic Productions, the nonprofit organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, that created the memorial, felt it was equally important to include those who died in accidents stateside or on overseas military bases as well as those who suffered "invisible wounds," like post-traumatic stress disorder, during their tours of duty and ultimately committed suicide to escape the pain.

The organization was founded by Omaha residents Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha, who have four sons who served in the Army and the Marines. They count themselves fortunate that all four came home safely.

The Williamses started Patriotic Productions in 2008 as a way of expressing their gratitude. Between 2008 and 2019, the nonprofit organized and raised funds to fly more than 3,500 World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Global War on Terror veterans to Washington, D.C., through the Honor Flight Network to visit their war memorials

The organization has also taken on the task of recording and preserving the oral histories of generations of veterans, so their stories will never be forgotten.

After reading a story in the Omaha World-Herald newspaper in 2010 about a father whose pain and grief were even greater four years after his son died in Iraq, the Williamses were inspired to create the traveling photo memorial.

They began with a memorial to fallen soldiers from Nebraska. Then, over the next several years, using donations and funds from sponsors, they completed 19 more state memorials.

Eventually, the individual state memorials were combined into the National Memorial, which was unveiled in September 2017 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and has been touring the country ever since.

The demand for the memorial was so overwhelming, the Williamses duplicated it in 2020, so it could be displayed in more cities and towns around the country.

This is the first time the memorial has come to Tampa.

"I can't think of a more perfect place for the Patriotic Productions 'Remembering Our Fallen' photographic war memorial than MacDill Park," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said following her visit to the memorial Thursday. "Our city of Tampa is a military town through and through. We are proud of all those who serve our country."

She encouraged everyone to visit the memorial through Sunday and experience the emotions she felt in seeing this visual reminder of the toll the Global War on Terror has taken.

"There are 5,279 names on these banners, each with families and friends left behind," she said.