Chris Umscheid
Veterans and others look for the names of fallen comrades, friends, or family members on the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance Saturday, Sept. 20. The 120-foot long memorial and historical display was set up on the Legion’s ballfield and in Solon from Thursday, Sept. 18 through Sunday, Sept. 21 in its first visit to Iowa.
It arrived with a sound like thunder yet silent tears were shed while it was here.
The Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance, a traveling memorial and visual history of the war against terrorism, was in Solon last week marking the first time it has visited Iowa.
“The Wall started because J.R. Nichols, a patriotic American, went to Ground Zero (site of the 9-11-01 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City) on the tenth anniversary. He was powerfully moved to design something,” said Brian Romans, founder of Romans Warrior Foundation and curator of the Wall.
What began as a display for a singular event transformed into a 120-foot long double-sided wall traveling the country to honor our fallen service members and the nearly 3,000 who were murdered by Islamic terrorists on 9-11 including those in the WTC (including the 343 FDNY firefighters, 23 NYPD officers, and 37 Port Authority officers), Shanksville, PA (crash site of Flight 93), and the Pentagon.
The list of names begins with the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon and ends with the 13 (11 Marines, one Soldier, and one Sailor) who were killed in a bomb attack at the Kabul airport during the withdrawal while the final panel is available for visitors to write the names of service members lost to suicide. The other side of the wall is a visual historical timeline of key events and people that have shaped what has become the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Arrival in Solon
“We had one hell of an escort coming to Solon and it truly was the most rewarding we have had, to date and it’s the most motorcycles we’ve had, to date,” Romans told the Economist and Iowa’s News Now in an interview.
The wall departed the Iowa Army National Guard Armory in Davenport Thursday morning, Sept. 18 escorted by a few hundred bikers representing a variety of veterans groups such as the American Legion Riders and Combat Veterans Association, and the Iowa State Patrol. The Solon Fire Department took the lead coming into Solon and passing a large American flag (borrowed from the Cedar Rapids Fire Dept.) suspended from a rotator tow truck provided by Tegeler Wrecker & Crane of Cedar Rapids.
The procession ended at the Solon American Legion’s ballfield next to the Veterans Memorial. There, veterans banded together to unload the panels and assemble them under the direction of Romans. The work paused briefly before erection of the second panel as Romans told the vets and volunteers the story of Marine, CPL Ron Payne Jr., the first combat casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“We called him The Gentle Giant, he was 275 pounds, 6’-7”, a Marine’s Marine. But he was also a Christian, he was a faithful man and he tried his best to get as many of our platoon mates to come to Christ prior to and while we were on the deployment.”
On May 4, 2008, CPL Payne drew enemy fire and was killed in action in a move that ultimately saved the lives of 40 fellow Marines.
“40 Marines and two sailors have lives and families because of what Ron Payne did that morning.”
Solon Legion member and Marine Mike Kessler arranged with Romans to bring the Wall to Solon.
“Mike said the traveling Vietnam Wall (The Wall that Heals®) was brought in (in August 2021) and they wanted something for today’s generation of veterans. And when he reached out, it was a no-brainer, let’s bring the Global War on Terror Wall here to Solon and get your community involved.”
Coins tell a story, names spark memories
Many of the names on the wall had a coin next to them, an informal military custom ranging from a penny (a visitor acknowledging the service and sacrifice of the deceased), a nickel (the visitor was in basic training or boot camp with the deceased), a dime (the visitor served in the same unit and/or deployment), to a quarter (the visitor was with the deceased at the time of death).
Many veterans were seen having a quiet moment with their lost Battle Buddy. For some the emotions and memories were too great with Solon Legion members, Romans, and on-site mental health professionals providing comfort and support.
A ceremony promoting remembrance, honor, and healing
Saturday, Sept. 20, a ceremony was held in conjunction with the Wall in addition to a nightly playing of Taps and a Saturday night reading of the 99 Iowans who died in service to our country fighting terrorists.
“Today we are gathered together to honor and pay respect to all of our heroes lost in the global war on terrorism. The effects of this conflict took a great toll on our nation, our state and our country, and our community right here at home,” said Adam Hopp, Post Commander, Solon American Legion Post 460 and combat veteran of multiple deployments. “With 99 Iowans on the Wall etched in history with bravery, the Solon American Legion is honored to bring the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance to this state for the first time.”
Romans, in his remarks, told the story of CPL Payne, adding, “Each and every day that I’m able to take this wall around I’m able to share that story with you, and let you all realize, in case you might have forgotten, what the cost of freedom is. No one on this wall is forgotten. On this stop alone, we’ve had the largest outpouring of visitors coming to this wall. Within 15 minutes of us pulling the trailer up and starting unloading, we already had healing starting. That’s phenomenal.”
Romans recalled when Kessler first asked about bringing the Wall to Solon.
“Mike said ‘I want your wall.’ I said it’s not my wall, it’s your wall. I’m just the guy who takes it around the country and helps share the stories of healing. Mike, after the wall was set up, he had his moment with his brothers. Each and every day, he comes back and shares his time with his brothers. That’s what the Wall is for.”
COL (RET) Todd Jacobus, Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs Commandant, reviewed the history of terrorist attacks against the United States and told the stories of several Iowans on the wall – 2LT Brian Gienau from Tripoli, SPC Seth Garceau from Oelwein, SPC John Wayne Miller from West Burlington, SGT Casey Byers from Vail, and SGT Robert Briggs from Hillsboro.
“We as Americans honor and respect the 1% that separate themselves from this 330-million-person formation that we know as the United States of America by taking the enlistment or oath of office.”
Jacobus pledged the full support of the Department of Veterans Affairs to the veterans.
“Our nation made a promise to you when you took your oath of office. Our nation’s promise was that when and if you need us we will be there for you. Those of us who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs get the privilege of delivering on that promise each and every day.”
In his closing remarks Hopp thanked the community for its outpouring of support.
“This is for our brothers and sisters in arms that no longer have their Battle Buddies, for all the kids who had to learn how to grow up without their mom or dad, and for all the parents, families, and friends whose loved ones were taken from this world much too soon. We will forever honor and be grateful for their sacrifice, and for yours.”
A memorandum of the 99 heroes from Iowa who never made it home
MAJ Stuart Anderson, SPC David Beh-rle, SSG Steven Blass, GYSGT Jeffrey Bohr, SGT John Bonnell Jr., PFC Brian Botello, SGT Robert Briggs, PFC Brandon Buttry, SGT Casey Byers, LCPL Cen Carman, MSG Scott Carney, SPC Dustin Colby, SSG Nathan Cox, SGT Adam Craig, CIV Keven Dagit, LCPL Joshua Davis, SPC Daryl Davis, PVT Michael Deutsch, PO Trace Dossett, CPL Llythaniele Fender, SGT Nathan Field, LT COL Paul Finken, SGT Paul Fisher, PVT Kurt Frosheiser, CSM Marilyn Gabbard, SPC Seth Garceau, 2LT Richard Gienau, SGT Kevin Gil-bertson, SPC Dakotah Gooding, SGT Robert Gore, SGT Don Griffith Jr., SPC Chad Groep-per, SSGT Joseph Hamski, SGT Adrian Hike, SGT Thomas Houser, PO2 Jaime Jaenke, SSG James Justice, SPC James Kearney III, PFC David Kirchhoff, SPC Joshua Knowles, SSG Shane Koele, SGT Bradley Korthaus, CSM John Laborde, CIV Jason Landphair, LCPL William Leusink, CPL Jarrod Maher, SPC Brent Maher, CPL Antoine McKinzie, 1SGT Tobias Meister, SGT Joseph Milledge, LCPL Clinton Miller, SPC John Miller, SSG Robert Miller, SPC Shawn Muhr, SGT James Musack, PVT Kenneth Nalley, SPC Donald Nichols, CPT Matthew Nielson, SSG Scott Nisely, SPC Christopher Opat, SFC Terryl Pasker, CPL Jason Pautsch, PFC Michael Pittman, CWO Deric Rasmussen, CPL Zachary Reiff, SGT David Rice, SGT Joseph Richardson, MSG Travis Riddick, SGT Michael Ristau, CPL Jonathan Schiller, CPL Nathan Schubert, SGT Daniel Sesker, CPL Stephen Shannon, SPC Aaron Sissel, SGT James Skalberg, PFC Nick Skinner, CW4 Bruce Smith, SGT Michael Smith, PFC Katie Soenksen, SGT Kampha Sourivong, CPL Michael Speer, SGT Eric Steffeney, SGT Scott Stream, PFC Bran-don Sturdy, PO1 Jerry Tharp, PFC William Thorne, SGT Gregory Tull, PO1 Jon Tumilson, SPC Travis Vaughn, SSG Mark Wall, LCPL Cody Wanken, SGT Leroy Webster, CPT Daniel Whitten, CPL Deagan William-Tyler Page, CPT David Wisniewski, MAJ Stuart Wofer, LCPL Adam Wolff, PFC Eric Woods, SPC Dustin Yancey.