A nonprofit organization, The American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation leads the effort to honor soldiers who have died in service in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other engagements related to the War on Terror. Florida architect Norman Schwartz designed the memorial, to be located in Kansas, as a sacred space of tribute. The American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation’s complex will include two buildings on either side of a large U.S. flag. The buildings will house the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation’s library, outreach center, exhibit hall, auditorium, information center, and the administrative offices. The flag serves as a visual centerpiece for the memorial, with the names of the fallen to be etched into low walls that extend from the flag in a five-pointed star shape. The flags of all 55 U.S. states and territories will fly in the center of the memorial. In addition to being surrounded by trees, benches and calming water installations will round out the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation’s design.

The American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation continues to engage in fundraising efforts to make its vision a reality. Interested parties can contribute in a number of ways. The Foundation allows families to purchase commemorative bricks etched with customized messages that will be placed in the memorial. Children of all ages also can support the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation through the IGaveMyCoins.com campaign, either as an individual as a part of a school-wide program.

Co-founders Tonya Evans and Kathryn Taylor found the inspiration to create the American Fallen Warriors Memorial Foundation from six families in Utah, each of which lost a family member in the War on Terror. Visit the American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation’s website at www.afwmf.org to learn more about the memorial and ways to donate, as well as the fallen soldiers to be immortalized through the memorial.