New monument unveiled to honor fallen heroes in Fayetteville, Cumberland County

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Organizers in Fayetteville marked Memorial Day with the unveiling of a new monument at Freedom Memorial Park, honoring service members who died from their injuries after returning home.

The tribute, revealed Monday, is the park's eighth addition. For curator Don Talbot, a retired veteran, it represents the completion of a vision he first had in the mid-1990s.

"I came here in 1963, and as I went around the community, I didn't see any memorial monuments for any military. And this is a military town," Talbot said.

After serving 26 years and completing several tours overseas, Talbot witnessed the loss of many fellow service members. The idea for the memorial, he said, began during his time in the Vietnam War. "I watched the rocket come in and land beside me and showered me with shrapnel and dust and dirt and sand and everything," he recalled.

Talbot said he felt compelled to recognize those who made the ultimate sacrifice, even after surviving the battlefield. "All my comrades that came back with injuries and passed away, there was no monument to say thank you for your sacrifice."

Freedom Memorial Park timeline

The park's first Memorial Day ceremony took place in 1998. By 2005, work began on monuments honoring veterans of various wars. 21 years later, the eighth monument stands as a testament to those who died as a result of their service, even after coming home.

"We haven't forgotten what you have done," said retired Sergeant Major Lennox Philbert Job, a chapter service officer for Saving American Veterans, during Monday's ceremony.

The event included patriotic tributes, moments of silence, and the symbolic laying of wreaths.

Community members like Lib Wilson, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, attended dressed in red, white, and blue to pay their respects. "It's just so important that we remember the ones that have made us free as we are today," Wilson said.

In a city with deep military roots, Talbot said events like this are crucial reminders. "We often say that freedom is not free, which is a true statement. And I think a lot of people don't remember who they are as citizens of this country. Their freedom is because of the military and the sacrifice."