A five-year long effort to memorialize Western New Yorkers who gave their lives during conflicts in the Middle East has come to fruition. The dedication of the Western New York Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial was held at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park on Saturday. A number of local veterans were on hand for the unveiling along with Gold Star Mothers, women who lost their sons and daughters in the conflicts.
Dan Frontera, an army veteran and the Chairman of the Iraq-Afghanistan Committee, explained the importance of the memorial. "This is a point of healing. It's a point of respect. We want to make sure that no one ever forgets those that we served with, because when it comes right down to it, the politics mean absolutely nothing. The person to your right, left and behind you means everything on the planet, and that's what this means to us. Nothing will validate what we've done other than what we already do now and what we carry forward in life to honor those that we've lost."
The three piece memorial was designed by Vietnam veteran Ralph Sirianni.
The names of all Western New Yorkers who lost their lives in the Middle East are presented on the memorial.
