ULTIMATE HONOR
A United States Army Color Guard marches through the Bolivar County Expo Center Saturday during a ceremony held for the unveiling of the county's newest war memorial. Photo by Taylor Mitchell, CNL
Area pays tribute to fallen war heroes
By Taylor Mitchell
The CNL
There is no greater sacrifice than to give one’s life to his or her country.
Saturday morning at the Bolivar County Expo Center, Mississippi soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq were honored with their own memorial to the fallen heroes of Mississippi.
“This has been a dream of mine for two years now,” Sonny Roncali, the Mississippi Delta Purple Hearts Commander said. “It was wonderful. I am overwhelmed with the turnout and how they feel about it.”
Hundreds of war veterans representing every major conflict the United States has fought in since World War II were present.
The memorial shows a picture of every fallen Mississippi soldier in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, starting from the year 2003 to 2008.
The portrait memorial dedicated to Mississippi's fallen heroes from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Photo by Taylor Mitchell, CNL
The pictures covered two thirds of the portrait while the other third was a statement of what the memorial represents.
“Today we got to honor our fallen heroes from throughout Mississippi,” Major General William Freeman Jr., Adjutant General of Mississippi said. “They are the reasons that we enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today. They are the guys who keep the war on terror over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and not here on the soil of America.”
Roncali started this project two years ago so that these veterans would not have to wait over 35 years for their memorial.
“I’m a Vietnam veteran and it took us 35 years for us to get a wall,” Roncali said. “When I got to be commander of the department of Mississippi, I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to let them wait 35 years for them to get a wall.”
The portrait memorial cost close to $10,000, with most of it being funded by the City of Cleveland.
“We probably spent a little over ten thousand,” Roncali said. “I went to the board and presented the program to them. After the second time they gave me the money.”
Roncali oversaw the project for the past two years and admitted that he was glad it’s over.
“It was time consuming,” Roncali said. “When you make up your mind to do something, it’s worth it, whatever it takes.”
For every member of the audience, the ceremony was moving.
“We just wanted to honor the families and say thank you for what their loved ones sacrificed for their country,” Freeman said.
During the unveiling of the memorial, the families of the soldiers who lost their lives, received special plaques honoring the service of their loved ones.
“It was a very moving ceremony,” Roncali said.
The mother of fallen soldier Mark Tucker
In attendance of the dedication were several of the elected officials for Cleveland. The Cleveland High School band provided music.
Also in attendance was Cleveland Mayor David Work.
“I was very impressed with the ceremony,” Work said. “Most of all, it was honoring a group of people that needed to be honored. I admire every one of these people and all their brothers and sisters that served in the military, especially these people that lost their lives.”
The Mississippi Delta Purple Hearts, Chapter 806, sponsored the memorial dedication.
The memorial will be moved to the courthouse today where it will be on display for all to see.
“I look forward to seeing it mounted in the courthouse,” Work said. “I hope a lot of people come to see it.”
The memorial will be dedicated at the Cleveland courthouse in a ceremony scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday.
