War memorial for fallen alumni unveiled at Arizona State University

PHOENIX — American heroes who once wore maroon and gold were honored with an everlasting memorial just outside the Pat Tillman Veteran’s Center last week.

The Arizona State University Memorial to Fallen Alumni was dedicated Nov. 3 to honor former Sun Devils who lost their lives while serving their country.

The memorial, located inside the Memorial Union, is a wall that digitally displays names of the 134 fallen members of the armed forces.The service members died in places that range from the Caballo Island in the Pacific to Fallujah in Iraq.

Steven Borden, director of veteran services at ASU, said the memorial will serve as a constant reminder of the importance of supporting service members who attend the university.

“It’s an ever-present reminder that freedom is not free,” Borden said.  “And we need to stand behind not only our service members but their families.”

Eight families of the fallen alumni were in attendance at the event.

Howard Draper, whose uncle was killed in northern France in 1918, said his uncle would have appreciated the recognition.

“This is the kind of thing he would have really loved,” he said.

The ASU Alumni Association Veteran’s Chapter and PitchFunder, a crowdfunding program that helps raise funds for events, helped pay for the wall.

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