LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Gold Star families, Purple Heart recipients, and other Veterans still have a chance to place a name on a brick for the new Regional Monument of Courage.
The new monument is going up next to the Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial at 82nd street and Nashville Avenue.
Mary Caballero is part of a Gold Star family ever since her 41-year-old daughter, Virginia Caballero, died in the United States on her way back from serving in Kuwait five years ago.
Mary says her daughter was also a purple heart recipient after being shot in the hip on another deployment in Iraq, before she was in Kuwait. She says the monument will be an honor.
“It’s an honor. I appreciate everyone for what they are doing to build that monument for everybody. I just appreciate everything and everybody for what they’re doing for us,” Caballero said. “She did love her career in the Army- she loved that- and she tried just so hard to stay there.”
The monument is a project put on by Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 0900, and the City of Lubbock.
Danny Koch, a member of the Friends of the Monument of Courage, said three parties are being honored on the new monument.
“First, are the region’s 12 Medal of Honor recipients, the highest award for courage given by the government. Seven of the 12 were killed in action. Their families received it posthumously. The national average for Medal of Honor recipients, 60- almost 70 percent were killed in action. Then, the second group will be the Gold Star families; those who’ve lost a soldier and more in the service of their country,” Koch said.
Purple Heart recipients or families of Purple Heart recipients will be recognized too.
The project costs 300,000 dollars, but Koch says with donations and pledges, they’re almost there.
“And it will be a place where our youth can go to learn what sacrifice is all about. Learn about the cost of war, learn that some family members don’t come home,” Koch said.
Bricks are 200 dollars. Koch says that if you never received a Purple Heart, but served the country with honor and distinction, you're eligible for a brick too.
The funding is going towards the monument and other Veterans advocacy missions like lowering the suicide rate in Veterans.
The monument is expected to go up in May around Memorial Day.
For more information on how you can request a brick, call Steven Oien, Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 0900, at 707-592-4598
To donate, head to: https://www.0900moph.com/monument-of-courage
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