Remembering Our Fallen, an exhibit honoring the lives of Texas service men and women, traveled through Killeen.
The project serves as a memorial commemorating the near 600 lives of Texans who have died in the War on Terror. It was created at Bellevue University in Nebraska and later donated to the Texas Funeral Director's Association. It’s since been shared across the state.
With a local funeral home's help, the memorial made it to the Central Texas area. Steven Faram, the general manager of the Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home said viewing the photo collection acts as an opportunity to allow the community to pay their respects to those who died in the line of duty.
"What these men and women have done for every Texan and everyone in the nation is just mind-boggling,” Faram said.
He also said the fallen featured in the exhibit have made the ultimate sacrifices for the freedoms Americans have today. That’s something in which gold star mother, Beverly Norman, can relate. Her son, Cpt. Michael A. Norman, served as part of a transition team in Iraq when a roadside bomb killed him in 2008.
"I'd like for him to be known as a hero and as a special person, but doing what he believed was right for his country,” Norman said.
She viewed her son's memorial to express her love and gratitude for his service. Norman said she felt a mix of emotions looking at her son's tribute.
"It's very hard. But it's proud as well as sad," she said.
Norman said her child is one of many Americans who died while fighting for the country and that all of them should be respected. She said she believes the traveling exhibit is a step in the right direction.
"Leave a note. Sign the book. Just show that they care for those who were just in this state alone,” Norman said. “There are so many and I just don't want any of them to be forgotten."
Although the exhibit left Killeen, the Remember Our Fallen website said it will make an appearance at the 2017 Texas State Fair in September. It will also be back on display in Belton in November.
For more information about Remember Our Fallen, visit their website.
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