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Post 9/11 Fallen Service Member Memorial
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The NYC Department of Veterans’ Services is partnering with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Transportation, and the Economic Development Corporation to build a memorial dedicated to New York City’s fallen service members of the Post-9/11 Generation. The memorial will be located on the waterfront in Whitestone, Queens and will honor the lives and legacy of the Service Members who died during combat activities in support of Overseas Contingency Operations (Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve, and Freedom’s Sentinel combined) associated with the Global War on Terror. In 2024, DVS ran a public request for proposals process to solicit memorial concept designs from qualified artists who hailed from around the world. The winning designer has been identified as renowned sculptor, Douwe Blumberg.
The form below allows loved ones to submit the name of a Post-9/11 fallen service member with a connection to New York City. Each submission helps ensure their sacrifice is honored and remembered as part of the memorial. Before submitting, please review "Honoring Their Service: Eligibility Criteria," document, which outlines eligibility and includes a current list of names of the fallen collected through publicly available information. After submitting, a member of our team will reach out to request verification documents to confirm military service and the individual's connection to New York City.
Honor Their Service: NYC Post-9/11 Fallen Service Member Submission Form
Click a topic, or press the enter key on a topic, to reveal its answer.
Background
Overseas Contingency Operations represent the country’s longest sustained military conflict, directly claiming (as of May 15th, 2024 according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System) the lives of 7,064 U.S. Service Members – 5,464 hostile deaths, 1,599 non-hostile deaths, and one pending non-hostile death. More than 90 of these brave men and women were from New York City. We must never forget our Service Members who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation’s freedom. Thanks to the advocacy of New York City’s Veteran community – as expressed through the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) – a memorial will be developed to honor and tell the stories of those we lost during this era of conflict. The terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the military operations that followed forever changed the lives of all Americans. Therefore, in addition to creating a special space for reflection and remembrance, this memorial will also seek to educate everyday New Yorkers about the extraordinary sacrifice these local Service Members and their families made. The memorial will also serve as a permanent declaration of “Thank you” and “Welcome Home” to our Post 9/11 Veteran community. The Post 9/11 Veteran community includes, but is not limited to: all who served, those sustaining hidden and non-hidden wounds, those who died for reasons that originated in military service who are not acknowledged by the Defense Department as being combat casualties, those who were not able to return home, the loved ones of all previously mentioned groups (Gold Star Families and Blue Star Families), supporters and allies. This project will serve as an eternal testament to their service by also creating a site for future commemorations and remembrances that engage the local community, Veteran Service Organizations, and New Yorkers who wish to learn about these hometown heroes.
Memorial Timeline
May 23, 2024— RFQ opens
September 2024— Shortlist of qualified artists selected and announced
November-December 2024— Conceptual Proposals reviewed, and finalist selected
Spring 2025 through Fall 2026— Engage the community board, local elected officials, and Veteran community stakeholders to finalize the memorial design concept.
Fall 2026 through Fall 2028— Anticipated groundbreaking for the Utopia Parkway street reconstruction project.
Fall 2028— Dedication and Ribbon Cutting
Memorial Site
The proposed monument will be located in Queens as part of a capital project to rebuild Utopia Parkway at the Little Neck Bay, near the end of Cryders Lane in Whitestone.
Memorial Advisory Committee
An advisory committee composed of individuals who reflect diverse facets of New York City’s Veteran community will assess artist submissions and help create a shortlist of up to five finalists for consideration. The Advisory Committee will screen the broader pool of submissions in order to identify a shortlist of candidates. The artist – or artist team – chosen to design the monument will be determined through the City’s Percent for Art commissioning process.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Alexa D'Alessandro
Wife of U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Executive Director of the NYU Veterans Future Lab
Lisa Beatha
U.S. Army Veteran | CUNY Veteran Affairs Director
Nancy Beetstra
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Wounded Warrior Project Event Coordinator
Jane Black
Spouse to U.S. Army Veteran | Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 885
Andrea Bryant
U.S. Navy Veteran | American Legion Edward M. McKee Post 131
Matt Butler
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Senior Director, Veteran and Military Services, Fordham University
Rudy Cazares
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Head of Cazares Logistics, an Amazon delivery company
Elana Duffy
U.S. Army Veteran |Founder of Pathfinder Labs
Mercedes Elias
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | CEO of AmeriVet Securities
John Escalante
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Team RWB NYC Deputy Chapter Captain
Quamid Francis
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Q Impact Solutions Founder
Agatha Funes
U.S. Army Veteran | CUNY Office of Veteran Affairs Student Coordinator for Inclusion & Diversity
Ryan Graham
U.S. Air Force Veteran | Flanders Field VFW Post 150 Commander
Ryan Hegg
Veteran Supporter | United War Veterans Council Head of Legacy and Education
David Keefe
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration Community Engagement Director
Tori Lyon
Veteran Supporter | CEO at Jericho Project
Mecca Nelson
Gold Star Wife to Sgt. Mario Nelson | Chief Executive Officer of The Yoma Method
Bob Ollis
Gold Star Father to Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis
Linda Ollis
Gold Star Mother to Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis
Mark Otto
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | United War Veterans Council President & Executive Director
Michael "Rod" Rodriguez
U.S. Army Veteran | Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation President & CEO
Kristen Rouse
US Army Veteran | Managing Director of IAVA
Mike Seeley
American Legion Edward M. McKee Post 131 Commander
Emily Toro
Gold Star Mother to Isaac Cortes
Dennis Torres
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran | Queens College Veteran and Military Support Services Associate Director
Selected Artist
The advisory committee has selected Douwe Blumberg to design the Post-9/11 Fallen Service Member Memorial. The son of a World War II veteran, Blumberg carries a deep reverence for those who have worn the uniform. His work reflects a commitment to honoring the courage, resilience, and memory, of those who gave their lives in service to this nation. Visit Douwe Studios to learn more about the artist and his previous work.
Artist Shortlist:
- Joan Benefiel, Mixed-media Sculptor
- Douwe Blumberg, Bronze Sculptor (Selected Artist)
- Cloud Architecture
- Joseph O’Connell, Installation Artist
Questions
If you are Veteran or military-affiliated individual who wishes to submit a suggestion to help guide or support this project, please email connect@veterans.nyc.gov.
Please direct all inquiries regarding this open call to Percent@culture.nyc.gov.