Jun 25 2022
Darian Leddy | KTTC
MANTORVILLE, Minn. (KTTC) – The city of Mantorville is honoring the families of service people who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military.
Saturday, the city unveiled Minnesota’s first “Gold Star Families Memorial Monument” outside the Dodge County Courthouse.
Hundreds of community members gathered, including many Gold Star Families. Gold Star Family members and relatives are those who have sacrificed a loved one for our freedom.
They were the first people to see the memorial and placed yellow flowers at the feet of the memorial.
“Although our hero was treated with honor and respect from the battlefield to their final resting place, it was not the homecoming we expected; images that touched everyone else only broke my heart further. It’s a fine line between happiness for others and a keep sadness for your loss,” Gold Star Mother Kay Swenson said.
The memorial is shaped in a curve so that when families step in front of it, it can represent a hug from their fallen family member.
The Gold Star Family Memorial was created by Medal of Honor Recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams.