Northwest Indiana Middle East Veterans Memorial

In November of 2019, the Friends of the Veterans Memorial Parkway (FVMP) joined with officials from the Town of Hebron to dedicate 1.5 acres as the future site for the Northwest Indiana Middle East Veterans Memorial. This site will honor those who have served and sacrificed in various Middle East theaters since the 1970’s. Prominent are those who served and died in Iraq and Afghanistan. The property is located north and directly adjacent to US 231, which is also called the Veterans Memorial Parkway. The Veterans Memorial Trail runs adjacent to the north of the memorial site.

This memorial will honor those not only lost in battle and service, but those who also came home still fighting the mental demons of their experience, and eventually succumbing to them by suicide. In 2013, the Veterans Administration released a report that this number reached up to 22 suicides - per day. This equates to 154 per week, 660 per month and 8,000 per year. Since then this number has become a symbol and a rallying cry - “22 Too Many” - for those seeking to stem this epidemic and shed light on those who deal with the hidden wounds of war. This includes soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injury (TBI) or military sexual trauma (MST).

Those who have lost their inner battle must not be forgotten and swept aside, as if their service and sacrifice do not count. They are not a number to us. They are not a statistic. They are men and women, young and old, who served our country. View their pictures, read their stories, say their names – remember them and their loved ones left behind. 22 Too Many – our heroes are never forgotten. Learn more at 22toomany.org.

As of 2023, fundraising is underway to finish the engineering for the proposed design, as well as for the eventual construction of the memorial proper. Images below show how this site will look when developed, but further revisions may yet take place. If you wish to serve on the committee charged with the development of the memorial, or have any questions, please contact Don Ensign at densign51@hotmail.com.