Dedication of the PFC Thomas L Tucker Veterans Memorial

"A nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure."
-Abraham Lincoln

Photos by SGT Eric Rutherford, Oregon National Guard

Three years after PFC Thomas Lowell Tucker was murdered in Iraq (here and here and here and here), the community of Madras, Oregon, led by his friends and classmates, K'Lyn Bush and Lyndasy Hessel, dedicated the memorial project they have worked so hard on. They have sold t-shirts, bracelets, bricks for the memorial walkway and had all kinds of fundraisers. They have rallied the community to support their project. Donations came in dollars and cents, as the children and teens were the biggest donors and fundraisers. On Sunday, their dream to honor their friend for the long term came true.

On Sunday, August 23, the PFC Thomas Lowell Tucker Memorial Statue was dedicated in Friendship Park in Madras, Oregon. The dedication ceremony was very moving and very warm. Everyone there had a few tears hiding behind their smiles as this magnificent statue of PFC Tucker reaching out a hand to a young Iraqi girl was unveiled. It will sit on the corner of US Highway 97 until the new City Hall is built in the same location. It will then be a focal point of the entry of the building.

(Ed Note - Please, read the next post down about the ceremony)