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The names of eight members of the armed forces from Washington killed in Iraq in July will one day be inspiration for quiet thought at the 10-acre Reflection Park being created in the historic garrison section of Fort Lewis.
The names and dates of all the fallen from this state's towns and military bases, from every service branch in every war beginning with World War I, will be engraved on granite walls set amid the sound of trickling water.
"The intent of the design is that you are walking through time and towards hope and light, away from the darkness and the conflicts," said Kimberlee Shreiber, managing director for Equity at Fort Lewis Communities, a private firm building and managing Fort Lewis family housing. It also is building the memorial.
The journey is intended to evoke the fallen as ever-present, while evoking their families' sacrifice as well.
The park will be built near Cascade Community Center, ringed by old-growth trees. Preliminary work is being done this year, and it should open next year.
The memorial is one of Equity's many community projects, which include 52 smaller parks, trails, 57 bus shelters and four community centers. In four acres of the park overseen by Fort Lewis, individual unit memorials from around the post will be brought together.
No tax dollars are involved in the approximately $1 million project, a Fort Lewis housing official said. The idea grew from discussions with Fort Lewis focus groups and surrounding communities, and began to jell only in the past four months. Private donations, primarily through the Association of the United States Army, the Sergeants Major Association and Gold Star Wives, are also helping to pay for the memorial.
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