Congress established a commission to create a memorial to Roosevelt in 1955. The memorial was opened in 1997, forty-two years later. The National WWII Memorial was opened in 2005, fifty-nine years after the war ended. Funding and construction took eleven years. A group of Vietnam veterans led by Jan C. Scruggs moved from incorporation to dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in three years and seven months. That was very impressive. However, it was almost ten years after the war ended before the memorial was dedicated. The Air Force Memorial took fourteen years to complete after the foundation was incorporated.
Jason Savage hopes for a more timely commemoration for the fallen heroes who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rather than wait and hope for the best, he teamed up with world-renowned sculptor Carl Regutti to design, plan and see to fruition a national memorial honoring the military men and women who have made, and yet will make, the ultimate sacrifice for freedom fighting in these wars. They have designed a national memorial in which the individual tributes distinguish it from any other in the world.
Faced with the prospect of losing his home (first it was his medical coverage), Savage remains undaunted in his effort to leave an enduring legacy. Savage, who never served in the military, wants to honor the fallen with individual, etched black surgical stainless steel tributes mounted in radiant red granite. These tributes are designed to survive the elements for thousands of years. He cited his parent's service to our country as one motivating factor. His father was in the OSS during WWII and his mother served as a stenographer on the war crime trials in Nuremberg.
The past two years has devastated many non-profit organizations. Savage, president of Freedom Memorials, used his savings to keep the organization afloat. Now that his personal funds are gone, he's facing some difficult choices. The possibility of selling his home is one of them. Savage added, 'I would hate to move. My cats are use to this place and have a big fenced yard. What makes it even harder is that my mother left me this home before she passed in 1999. Nostalgia you know.'
Savage and Vice President Regutti have worked on this project for nearly eight years. To date, they have received no media coverage and virtually no responses from nationally renowned business leaders, politicians or celebrities. 'There were simply too many gatekeepers in the way,' Savage remarked.
Savage and Regutti both believe that the parents and loved ones of the fallen deserve to see a national commemorative in their lifetime to these heroes. Savage receives a casualty update from the Department of Defense whenever a member of the US Armed Forces dies. All warriors who have perished will be commemorated on the memorial. Individuals, businesses and corporations are being encouraged to sponsor a tribute for one of the fallen heroes. Sponsors will receive a granite commemorative plaque, as will the families of the fallen hero. Excluding the cost of the plaques, which are very reasonable, funds raised from these sponsorships will be used for the memorial. The Sponsor A Tribute drive was launched on March 1, 2011.
'Since I grew up in Charleston, I decided to start there and see how we do in that area,' said Savage. He cited nine casualties of the wars from the Lowcountry. They include: Army Capt. Richard G. Cliff, Jr.; Army Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor; Army Maj. Edward J. Murphy; Army Staff Sgt. Jerome Lemon; Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan E. Gadsden; Army Pfc. Melissa
J. Hobart; Sgt. Steve M. Theobald; Sgt. Adam Wenger; and SPC Dustin Allen Yancey.
Anyone can sponsor a hero's tribute. The fallen warrior could have been a local resident, from out of state, or from another country. A sponsor can make the selection. Any tributes that are done locally will include a presentation ceremony with invited dignitaries from local municipalities. The families and the tribute sponsors will be presented commemorative granite plaques.
The memorial itself is estimated to cost approximately $20 million and at present is destined for Thunderbird Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Savage said it took two and half years to find that location after exploring possible sites on the East Coast. The search included Patriots Point and Charleston. 'They were not interested in any more memorials at Patriot's Point,' Savage said. 'They wanted more revenue producing hotels.' Savage said they explored many locations but eventually found success in the mid-west. 'The difference in attitude from the east coast to the mid-west regarding a potential site for this memorial was quite striking,' he said.
Undaunted, he presses on. Savage spends all day, each day working on this project. 'I am dedicated to this because there are committed military men and women sacrificing their lives for our freedom. That enables me to do what I am doing. So I'm giving everything I've got to make it a success.' Senator Bob Dole cautioned him about the arduous nature of this task. However, he remains unflinching.
This memorial is international in scope. It will include US and coalition forces along with the names of the wounded and photos depicting different aspects of the wars. In addition, they plan to memorialize the public safety workers, including the firefighters, police and port authority personnel who gave their lives after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center towers in an effort to save others.
'The 45th Infantry Division Museum (www.45thdivisionmuseum.com) in Oklahoma City, OK is one of the finest military museums in the nation. Curator Michael Gonzales is very excited about this opportunity,' said Savage. 'The head of the museum, Major General Harry M. Wyatt III, found no objections by the Parks & Recreation Department to the memorial being built at Thunderbird Park, adjacent to the museum.' Oklahoma City is home to The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. 'The city is located approximately in the geographic center of the nation, and they host over eight million visitors a year,' he explained.
We haven't placed a deadline on this fund-raising program. But construction on the memorial will not begin until sufficient finances are in place,' he said. 'We want to give it a couple of years, and if the necessary funds have not been raised we will do one of three things. Scale down the memorial and build one that available funds will support, present Diamond Memory™ commemoratives to the families of the fallen, or distribute the funds to organizations working with the returning wounded and military families who have suffered a loss. We will not waste any money. We do not anticipate fund-raising being a problem once citizens learn about this project and the sponsorship program.'
Savage explained, 'This memorial is designed to educate its visitors. This is a memorial where one can read about each fallen warrior and see his or her photograph. The special tributes make that possible.'
Individual Tribute Sponsorship is $3,500. However, donations of any dollar amount will be accepted. This is a living memorial. Tributes will be added each year until these wars are declared over. Contributors can remain anonymous if so desired. One can sponsor a tribute personally, or businesses, clubs, civic organizations, churches or schools can raise funds to sponsor a tribute. A special recognition certificate will be designed for all who participate.
To see renditions, the special tributes and learn more about this memorial and the Sponsor A Tribute program visit www.FreedomMemorials.org.


(Sully Witte can be reached by emailing editor@moultrienews.com. Visit the web site at www.moultrienews.com)