Marshall County Tribune: Local News: Group raising funds to honor fallen soldiers (05/23/08)

Front, Alexander and Larissa Nunes. Back, from left, Ed Magee, ONF project director; Christy Nunes; Christine Hierholzer; Novella Ford, ONF project coordinator; and Dave Uselton, ONF project director.

Operation Never Forget (a national project of congressional district programs and a 501c3 public charity) has made plans in Marshall County to memorialize each of the men in uniform who have answer-ed their country's call, fought a good fight, and had their lives cut short by making the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq, fighting the war on terror.

Operation Never Forget plans on giving back to the families of our local heroes, as well as to our community, a lifelike bronze bust statue, memorializing the heroes for their sacrifice. By doing so, the heroes will be forever commemorated right in our community where they grew up, went to school, worked and were loved.

Novella Ford, after hearing about the organization at a Veterans of Foreign Wars District meeting last November, felt the need to get involved so that Marshall County's fallen heroes would not be forgotten.

She contacted Dave Uselton and Ed Magee, both project directors for ONF, and got the ball rolling. After completing the necessary paperwork, Ford was named project coordinator for Marshall County and is in the process of putting together a fund-raising committee.

The service members from our community who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom are: Staff Sgt. Todd E. Nunes, Army, killed in action May 2, 2004; Sgt. David Hierholzer, Army, killed in action July 24, 2006; and Sgt. Marc Golczynski, Marines, killed in action March 27, 2007.

To date, only one bust, that of Marc Golczynski, has been completed. It is scheduled to be unveiled on Saturday, May 24. A total of $8,000 ($4,000 each) is needed before work can begin on the two remaining busts.

To kick off the fund-raising project, an auction is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at WAXO Radio Station. All citizens, civic organizations and local businesses are encouraged to donate to this worthwhile cause as a token of appreciation to the fallen heroes and their families.

Ford said she hopes Marshall County will open their hearts and wallets so that our local heroes will forever be remembered for their dedication to securing America's freedom against terrorism.

Anyone interested in participating in this project is urged to contact Novella Ford at 993-6391 or 270-8042.