Photo By Sgt. David Choi | Jim K. Blatchford, a member of the board of directors of the Fallen Warriors Memorial,...... read more read more
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — High schools have played a critical role in their communities and in the upbringing of many individuals. Most high school graduates grow and do greater things with their lives beyond their high school education. Some even join the military. Thus, in a sense, whenever a service member becomes a casualty in an armed conflict, a piece of that service member’s high school community or a sense of its identity is lost.
Due to the number of service members killed in combat within the past decade, a group of former veterans founded the Fallen Warriors Memorial Organization. Their purpose is to memorialize fallen service members where they once attended high school.
“After a young Marine whom I knew very well was killed in [combat], the others and I founded the Fallen Warriors Memorial Organization in order to honor and remember the former high school students who gave their lives while serving their country,” said John L. Cordova, a native of Eldorado Hills.
“There was an entire generation of Vietnam veterans who were forgotten. We wanted to make sure that that did not happen again by embedding our program into local high schools,” Cordova said.
Constructing plaques in honor of their service, the Fallen Warriors Memorial offers them to the families of those that were killed in combat along with the high school that that service member had attended. In addition to the plaques being dedicated at an area of the high schools, a sporting event, such as the football game at C.K. McClatchy High School on Nov. 5 in Sacramento, is dedicated to the deceased service members.
“We wanted to ensure the creation of a program for high schools where you have families along with the students attending a game to get involvement from the community in order to remember that a student of their high school was killed while defending their country and then carrying that sentiment on to the next generation,” continued Cordova.
After fundraising through volunteer events, such as golf tournaments and a motorcycle-and-car show, participating high schools are awarded a $1,000 scholarship to give to a graduating senior who writes an essay describing the contributions that veterans have made to their community and country, said Jim K. Blatchford, a native of Folsom and a member of the Fallen Warriors Memorial Organization board of directors.
“This is a great event to commemorate a great Soldier and warrior,” said Peter Lambert, principal of C.K. McClatchy High School. “We expect greatness from all of our students which holds true to the traditions and history of those that have served in our military.”
This particular football game was dedicated to former student, Sgt. Arnold Duplantier II of Sacramento. He was killed by small-arms fire in Baghdad, Iraq, while providing security on June 22, 2005. In attendance at C.K. McClatchy’s dedication football game were members of the Duplantier family and several people that had served with him under the Charlie “Rock” Company, 1st Battalion of the 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard.
“I believe that this shows the young students that a particular soldier from this high school had paid the price for their country,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert A. Matey, a native of Roseville. “I can tell you that as Sgt. Duplantier’s first sergeant at the time, all the aspects that made Duplantier embody a great soldier and team leader can also show these students that there were others before them, like themselves that paid the ultimate sacrifice for their future.”
“I’m very honored that the Fallen Warriors Memorial did this for Arnold to keep his memory alive,” said Duplantier’s wife, Tanya R. Duplantier from Elk Grove. “I want to thank all the current service members and those in attendance for this event.”
| Date Taken: | 11.05.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2011 17:52 |
| Story ID: | 81922 |
| Location: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 110 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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