Wisconsin State Fair honors veterans, military with traveling memorial
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Day four of the Wisconsin State Fair honored those who serve the country as part of Veteran and Military Recognition Day on Sunday, Aug. 4.
In a place of good fun and lightheartedness, there's also a spot for remembrance and reflection.
In the Exposition Center, among the crafts and foods, is the Remembering Our Fallen Memorial. It’s a post-Sept. 11 display of fallen soldiers, from September 2001 to August 2021, directly related to the Global War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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More than 5,000 photos are displayed on 34 Tribute Towers.
"The Vietnam Wall is names, and this puts a face to those names," representative of the traveling exhibit, David Luton, said.
Luton served in the Marine corps in 1978. He connected with veterans at the memorial on display for the first time at the Wisconsin State Fair.
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"Everywhere, from you, know, remember when he did this in service – stuff like that – to where I keep kleenex on my table," he said. "I’ve had a lot of veterans come to look for their friends, lot of families."
Chris Erickson visited the fair for Veteran and Military Recognition Day. He served in the navy and said this ties it all together.
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"The different backgrounds of people and everybody that comes through here – to have this in here and to show all this, I think is absolutely great," Erickson said.
It's a walk-through memorial that moved those who took the time to look.
"It’s kind of surreal," Erickson said. "It kind of makes the hair stick up on my arms a little bit because I lost some good friends in service as well."
In a place with so much joy, Luton and other veterans said that's because of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.
If you're coming to the fair and watch to check out the Remembering Our Fallen Memorial, it's at the south end of the Exposition Center.
For more information on the memorial, visit its website.