CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah - Utah servicemembers, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, were honored with the release of a rehabilitated golden eagle here at Veterans Memorial Park April 10.
A fitting symbol for such a memorial, the eagle was released in memory of 39 Utah servicemembers, who have died since 9/11.
"Eagles throughout time in ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt have been used to inspire the hearts of warriors," said Ben Woodruff, founder of Skymasters Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of wild animals. "And a warrior is a woman or a man, who knows what's worth fighting for, and the eagle can embody that for us."
Adding to the significance of this tribute release, the golden eagle had been wounded and was cared for at the Great Basin Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
Upon arrival at the center, the eagle was not given a traditional name but was instead prepared to bear the names of Utah's fallen.
"This young golden eagle hasn't had a name until today," said Patti Richards, director of the Spanish Fork, Utah-based wildlife rehabilitation center.
"Today he bears the name of our fallen Soldiers, and my wish is that every time you see an eagle in the wild you remember our Soldiers."
Hundreds of military and civilian spectators gathered to participate in the ceremony and watch the eagle's release. Among them was Kim Black Olsen of Salem, mother of Utah's most recent fallen Warrior, Marine Lance Cpl. Nigel Olsen, who died in an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan in March.
"I am very grateful and emotional over this experience," Olsen said. "This release of the eagle, the symbol of our nation, is a great gift to the fallen Soldiers whose spirits soar high."
The release of the eagle aligns itself with other such memorial acts in the military that help to ensure that the living remember their fallen comrades.
"Nothing will replace a father's absence at a table, a father wishing a child good night or a father caring for his child's fears," said Col. Robert Dunton, commander of Camp Williams Training Site Command. "So it is the duty of us in uniform and the duty of us here to remember our Servicemen and women who serve in harm's way overseas.
"We miss these men in our formations and communities, and we can never take away the void that is left in our lives. We are grateful to honor their memory."