Boy Scout Builds Monument to Soldiers in Fry, Arizona

Boy Scout creates fallen soldier’s monument
By Bill Hess
Herald/Review

Published on Tuesday, November 11, 2008

SIERRA VISTA [formerly Fry, Arizona] — It is a simple but highly symbolical brass monument.

Less than 5 feet high, the Fallen Soldier’s Cross was dedicated Monday afternoon, appropriately the day before Veterans Day.

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Hall unveils the Fallen Soldier’s Cross monument during a dedication ceremony Monday at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Hall initiated the monument venture as part of his Eagle Scout project. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review) The boots, rifle and helmet tell a story of a fallen member of America’s armed forces. It has been used in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the deaths of U.S. military personnel have occurred.

The boots stand for the last march completed; the rifle, with its bayonet stuck in the ground, is for a break in combat; and the helmet symbolizes the person who fell in combat.

For Life Scout Jacob Hall of Troop 486, having the special monument placed in the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery was a way to honor the many members of his family who have served the nation.

He named 12 members of the family, 11 men and one woman, who served in the Army. One of them is his great-great-grandfather who served during World War I from 1917 to 1918. There were two sailors, one a great-great-grandfather who sailed in the Navy’s Great White Fleet sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt from 1907 to 1909.

And, Jacob mentioned his twin-brother Adam, who will be heading for Navy boot camp in April as a person who will continue the family’s long history of military service.

For Jacob, the addition of the Fallen Soldier’s Cross to the cemetery’s Committal Shelter area has another goal as he attempts to earn the top Boy Scout rank.

The project was his Eagle Scout’s Project, which required the raising of nearly $4,500 for the monument, along with additional funds to anchor the device.

He and fellow scouts from the troop, sponsored by Village Meadows Baptist Church, bused tables, had garage sales and other fundraisers. In the end, nearly $7,000 was collected.

The money not used for the project will go into the cemetery’s foundation coffers to be used for other Eagle Scout projects at the cemetery.

Jacob said he was thankful for a special donation by Michael McDonald, the owner of Black Rose Etching, who created a special stone plaque with the names of individuals and groups that each provided at least $250.

The short dedication ceremony, attended by a small gathering of more than 50 people, was filled with military symbolism, much like what is done in the field to honor a fallen soldier.

The national anthem was sung by Linda Brown, and the Fort Huachuca Select Honor Guard acted as flag bearers and a firing party. One member of the guard played Taps, the 24 notes of finality for those who served.

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GJ - Sierra Vista is home to one of the top military installations in America. The fort is famous for its historic Black cavalry.

The Buffalo Soldiers are an interesting part of our history.