GREAT FALLS — The Montana Veterans Memorial in Great Falls stands as a place of remembrance built from a simple idea in 1999.
Gina Winters, vice president of the Montana Veterans Memorial Association, said the memorial began with her parents.
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"One day, mom and dad, Michael and Barbara Winters, were over in Helena, and mom looked at dad and said, they drove by the Helena Veterans Memorial. And mom looked at dad and said, 'We don't have a veterans memorial.' And dad kind of chuckled and said, 'Well, I guess we better remedy that.' And so that's how it all started," Winters said.
Today, the memorial is filled with thousands of engraved tiles, each representing a life and a story of service.
"Currently, there are almost 8,700 tiles here, and every tile has a story. And some of the stories that have been sent in with the tile applications are just heart-rending," Winters said.
Winters said the memorial also serves as a timeline of American military history.
"There are tiles up here from the Civil War and from every conflict until now. And in peace time. And there are K-9 veterans on the wall," Winters said.
For Great Falls resident Shirley Lukkason, the memorial is a way to honor her father's service and keep his memory alive.
"My dad grew up in Willow Creek, Montana, which is about 2.5 hours from here. And he joined the Army Air Force when he was a senior in high school. There were three boys and three girls in his class, and the three boys left. World War II had just ended, and they went and they were part of the cleanup," Lukkason said.
She said her father always took pride in his service and in the friendships he built along the way.
"He was proud of it. He went with his very best friend, and they were buddies through the whole thing and experienced a lot of things. I think he was about 22 when he finished his tour of duty and came back home," Lukkason said.
Each Memorial Day, the site becomes a gathering place for families reflecting on the sacrifices made by their loved ones.
"I've been at several of the ceremonies with my brother in law, my father in law, my brother in law. Their tiles are here, too. My brother-in-law lives here. My father-in-law is deceased. But it's really important to my brother-in-law. And so I come often with him to the ceremony that's on Memorial Day. And it's just a beautiful thing," Lukkason said.
The Montana Veterans Memorial is at 1025 25th Street North in Great Falls.
For more information, or if you would like to honor a veteran, click here to visit the website, or call 406-454-9070.
