JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On this Memorial Day, two names have been added to the Veterans Memorial Wall near TIAA bank Field.
The monument honors the lives of more than 1,700 fallen heroes who called Jacksonville home.
U.S. Army member Quentin Jones and U.S. Navy Master of Arms Jason Recker were part of a digital tribute by the City of Jacksonville the was the first of its kind.
The ceremony was filmed at the 65-foot-long granite monument with the names of those heroes inscribed on it. The tribute Monday featured performances from The Jacksonville Children’s Choirs, and the Jacksonville Pipes and Drums.
The families of Jones and Recker talked about their loved ones’ commitment to serving our country.
″The things I admired most about him was his love for his family, his kids were his world, his faith in God, he was always so strong, and his service to his country, he was so honored to serve over 24 years,” said widow Melissa Recker. “We moved to Jacksonville in 2016, that’s where we were stationed. We had our little one, McKenna, who was born medically complex, so after 27 surgeries in Jacksonville, we decided to call Jacksonville our home. So, thank you for coming and learning about Jason’s life.”
Recker contracted brain cancer while deployed and died last year after he retired home, the Times-Union reported.
“When [Quentin] came into the military, he was so proud to serve the country,” said uncle Eric Jones. “I’m an ex-Navy person so I tried to talk him into serving in the Navy, he said he wanted to go to the Army. He went and he was happy, based on my mom’s conversations. He used to call all the time and say how proud and thankful he was of her guiding him in the direction that he did because, without her, he felt that he didn’t know where he would be. It makes you warm and fuzzy, but he left earth doing what he wanted to do. Excuse me for tearing up, I was just so proud of him. We miss him so much.”
According to reports, Jones, 21, died in a crash last year in Colorado.
The City of Jacksonville’s virtual tribute comes at a time when the country is coming together to reflect on the bravery and selflessness of service members who protected our nation.
″May we never forget the sacrifice and may we always be available to walk beside them in their grief,” said Capt. Darren Stenner, U.S. Navy Chaplain.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said the memorial wall is a sacred space for the entire community and a testament to that pride and a demonstration of the city’s commitment to never forget.