Dedication Ceremony for Bucks County Global War on Terror Memorial Planned

A dedication ceremony for the Bucks County Global War on Terror Memorial has been scheduled for May 16 at 2 p.m.

The memorial, a project by the Doylestown VFW, will be located in the courtyard of the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown. It will honor the memories of Bucks County soldiers who were killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The design includes four sections constructed of brick and aluminum with a centerpiece that features a section of runway from the United States Air Force Base in Bagram, Afghanistan. 

Photo boxes on the exterior will contain pictures of 'firsts' achieved during the war, including women in combat, an all-volunteer force, unmanned warfare such as drones and robots, and advancements in armored combat vehicles. Other sections will be devoted to the combat environment of Iraq and Afghanistan and technology used to prosecute the war.

The interior will feature a checkerboard of photo boxes with photographs and biographical information provided by the families of those being memorialized. Since the start of the Global War on Terror, Bucks County has lost 19 men and one woman on the battlefield.

The plan, according to Col. Gregory Marston, chairperson of the memorial design committee, is to have visitors 100 years from now view the finished Global War on Terror Memorial and get an understanding of the war and Bucks County's sacrifices.

Donations to the Global War on Terror Memorial fund can be made via the VFW website or by sending a check to: Doylestown Post 175 GWOT Memorial Fund, PO Box 1533, Doylestown, PA 18901.