A tiny crowd gathered near the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Olley Road on Saturday, May 19 for the dedication ceremony of a Blue Star Memorial.
During World War I, a man placed a flag with a blue star in his window to tell all his neighbors that he was proud of his son who was fighting. This practice became widely used in 1945 during World War II. The National Garden Club improved upon this tradition by raising plaques nationwide on memorial highways to honor past, present and future American soldiers.
With the help of Del. Tim Hugo (R-40), the Willow Brook Garden Club declared Little River Turnpike a memorial highway. A garden filled with red, white, blue and gold plants was installed along with the sign. The incoming president of the Willow Brook Garden Club, Bev Wright said that "it is such an honor to do something like this for the community and to honor all our soldiers."
"Freedom is not free, it comes with a price," said Maj. Eric Albertson, a chaplain at Fort Belvoir, when dedicating this marker that is meant to remind us all of those who fought for freedom.
"It is important to remember the sacrifices made by those fighting so that we may continue to enjoy democracy and freedom to this day," said Gerald Connolly.
The ceremony appropriately took place on Armed Forces Day with a few veterans, American Legion members and Garden Club members present for the dedication. Del. David Bulova (D-37) and American Legion Chaplain James Galligan were also in attendance.
— Rachael Shumaker