MILLSBORO, Del. – A new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument now stands at the Delaware Veterans Memorial in Millsboro, serving as a tribute to fallen service members and the families who carry their legacy forward.
The memorial is the first Gold Star Families Memorial Monument in Sussex County and only the second in Delaware.
The project was led by Kristin Giordano, a Gold Star mother whose son, Joseph “Joey” Marquez, died during a military training exercise in 2022. Determined to honor her son’s memory and the sacrifices of other fallen service members, Giordano spent the past three years fundraising and working to bring the memorial to life.
“It’s a bittersweet sense of accomplishment because obviously we wouldn’t be here today if I wasn’t a Gold Star mom, but I think this is going to be great for the community and I’m just really happy that we got everything finished,” Giordano said.
The monument honors all fallen service members and recognizes the sacrifices made by their families. Personal touches throughout the memorial also reflect Marquez’s life and memory.
