City and Hamilton County officials broke ground Thursday on the memorial designed to honor the five service members killed in the July 16, 2015, Chattanooga terrorist attack on two local military sites.
The memorial, “Wreath of Honor,” will stand in a section of the Tennessee Riverpark near the Hubert Fry Center and a stone’s throw away from the U.S. Naval Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve Center that was attacked three years ago. Killed in the attack were Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist; Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan; Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt and Lance Cpl. Squire K. “Skip” Wells, all Marines, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall J. Smith.
Designed by Shane Allbritton & Norman Lee of RE:site Studio, the memorial won a $750,000 commission put together by the city and county with help from the private sector. The plan is to have the memorial finished for a dedication ceremony in July 2019.
“This memorial to the Fallen Five has been in the planning process for some time now,” said Katelyn Kirnie, director of public art for the city of Chattanooga. “I think this memorial will be a very sacred place.”
Mayor Andy Berke said it would be the site for community members to pay their respects and honor the men who were killed, enshrining their lives and the sacrifices they made for others.