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DRAPER — Pleasant Grove resident Kim Olsen grew up in a military family, with her father serving in World War II.
That military pedigree didn't leave the family after she and her husband, Todd Olsen (whose father also served in World War II), had kids. The couple's oldest son served in the United States Navy and her youngest was a Marine.
"We sent our youngest son off to Afghanistan, where he lost his life on March 4, 2010, at the age of 21," Kim Olsen said.
Soon, Draper will be home to a memorial for families, like the Olsens, to remember their lost loved ones. On Tuesday, the city held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument that will honor the families of servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military.
The monument — set to be built at Draper City Park — will be the fifth of its kind in the Beehive State, joining existing monuments in Sandy, South Jordan, North Ogden and St. George.
Gold Star Monuments are four-panel, two-sided monuments made up of black granite.
One side reads "Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, a tribute to Gold Star Families and Relatives who sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom."
The other side of each panel carries specific dedications: Homeland, family, patriot and sacrifice. The center of the monument features a cutout silhouette of a saluting servicemember.
"Gold Star families are all unique, but we share one thing in common and that is that we all grieve that loved one that we have lost and (who) paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country," Kim Olsen said. "This monument will be a place of permanence for Gold Star families to gather and utilize as they see fit."
For Gold Star father Tony Galvez, the monument is a representation of loss and sacrifice for the greater good of the country.
"Our sons and daughters that willingly raise their right hand — not just to swear allegiance to the oath with the Constitution — but to say, 'I will go in others' stead so that others, on the other side of the world, can enjoy the freedoms that we have here in the United States,'" Galvez said.
Galvez's son was killed in Iraq.
"Here, our children play freely because people like Kim's son, my son and other people were willing to go to a place on the other side of the world to fight for other people's freedoms, not just ours," Galvez said.
While the monument represents loss, to Galvez, it also represents the reason for the sacrifices that he and other military families endure.
Draper Mayor Troy Walker brought the idea of having a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument in Draper to the city council after visiting one himself.
"I hope this monument will be a place that you, your families and anyone that you know can come and sit and reflect on the sacrifice that was given by these folks and what they've done," Walker said.
Correction:An earlier version incorrectly referred to Kim Olsen as a Draper resident instead of Pleasant Grove, referred to Todd Olsen as Chad and misspelled Tony Galvez as Galves.
