War Memorial for Mississippi’s Soldiers Who Died in Iraq and Afghanistan

Members of the Mississippi Delta Purple Hearts chapter unveil the Mississippi portrait memorial for the dead soldiers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hundreds came to the Bolivar County’s Expo Center to see Mississippi’s first memorial for its soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. MPB’s Sandra Knispel was in Cleveland at the unveiling ceremony on Saturday.

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“I dedicate this memorial to the sacred memory of all of our nations’ defenders,” said Sonny Roncali, chapter commander of the Delta Military Order of the Purple Heart, a non-profit veterans' organization.

The memorial is funded through a combination of public and private donations. Framed by three wooden panels, the 4-foot tall memorial is made up of black tiles, bearing the images of Mississippi’s soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“These brave sons, fathers and brothers stepped up to the plate to answer the call and said ‘send me. I will go forth and do my duty. And if it costs me my life than that’s how much I love this great nation and what it stands for,’” said Mississippi Adjutant General William Freeman.

Freeman, Commanding General of both the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard, is the keynote speaker.

“Since these wars began in Iraq and Afghanistan the Mississippi National Guard presence has been huge as you all know… including first, second and sometimes third deployments. And you’re looking at about 15,000 Mississippians that have been in harms way over the past few years," Freeman added.

So far, 64 Mississippians have not returned alive, among them 25-year-old Shane Pugh from Stonewall, just south of Meridian.

“Him and the Sergeant got out of the Humvee to secure around them a perimeter around them and an IED went off and hit him and the other man," said Wilma Allen.

Allen is Pugh’s mother. Dressed in white, she wears the colors of the Forever Faithful Chapter of the Mississippi Gold Star Mothers, all of whom have lost a child fighting in a war.

“And Shane was the medic on the scene and there was no other medics there, so he had to tell them what to do for him and the other man. The other man survived and Shane passed away in the Medevac,” Allen added.

During the dedication ceremony a soldier sidles up to Allen. He tells her he met her son just before he died, and how Shane smiled at him.

“He just told me he was a special person. And even if you meet someone just for a second – over there in those circumstances it means a lot. And a smiling face means a lot to you. And Shane had that little smiling face,” said his mother.

Not far from Allen sits Yolanda Wagner, another Gold Star mother, also dressed in white.

“My baby took a direct hit. He was killed in Kala Gush, Afghanistan, on August the 2nd, 2007. He was 22 years old," said Wagner.

Her son, Taurean Harris, was the oldest of four.

“He was the head gunner. My son was the one that was hanging out of the vehicles," said Wagner. "So, my baby[‘s] life was in danger the entire time and I never knew it.”

Wagner is proud of the memorial. But every day has become a struggle for the family.

“It’s extremely hard. Everybody have their own feelings, their own emotions. It’s like tearing us. Because you have pain, I have pain. Our pain is different, yet it’s for the same person. And it’s been extremely hard on his brother William who’s right underneath him. Their birthday is a day apart. They’ve always been together,” Wagner said.

Before August, another 5,000 Mississippians are to be deployed. Phil Darbonne is the creator of the portrait memorial.

“Unfortunately, this war is still continuing. So each year I will have to come back and add additional tiles of soldiers that have died from the state of Mississippi. When the war is over – the last panel I will build and put up – will show the statistics of the war, the true cost of freedom. And I hope that’ll be very soon," said Darbonne.

The Magnolia state has one of the highest numbers of deployed soldiers per capita. Here, where military service is closely entwined with faith, patriotism and often economic reality, more names may well be added to Mississippi’s memorial and more mothers will wear white before the troops finally come home.

Sandra Knispel, MPB News, Cleveland.