BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Portrait of a Warrior Gallery has completed their monument for service members who fought for our country & didn't return home. This room has over 80,000 dog tags for those who fought in WWII.
The latest memorial inside The Portrait of a Warrior gallery pays tribute to those military men and women who were lost in battle. Inside the MIA Remembered Memorial room, the names of more than 82,000 heroes adorn the walls... serving as an enduring tribute to their sacrifice.
The Portrait of a Warrior Gallery opened in September 2018 and since then they have been working to find missing service members from all over the country. Recreating their dogs tags and hanging them as a representation of the lives who fought for our freedom.
Bill Porter President of the MIA Remembered Monument said "We hope this will open up peoples eyes that there are people who are still missing from us and there families. Trying to grasp what 82,000 souls is like, Dodgers Stadium holds 56,000 people. The next time you go to a Dodgers game, realize these tags represent one and a half times that stadium."
Dog tags can be seen as service men and women's ID in the service. Symbolizing the honor, sacrifice, and service of those who fought for our country.
Rick Knight Marine Corps Veteran said "It gets to my heart right away, when I think of all the family members and loved ones who never saw their son or daughter come home from war. They got the notice that he was missing, it just hurts my heart. I don't know what my reaction would be if they told me my son or daughter didn't make it home."
Knight adds that every time they find one of the service members they replace their silver dog tag with a gold one. They originally started off with 82,000 silver tags and now they have 80,959. Averaging close to 150 gold tags a year.
"The United States has a department that is diligently looking for any kind of fragment of remains. To identify with families who have given up their DNA. To be able to recognize when their family member has been found." said Knight
The room will be officially opened to the public on September 19th, National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
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