Monument for Gold Star Families dedicated in Elkins

ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — A memorial in honor of the 672 Gold Star Families in Randolph County and the surrounding area was dedicated on Saturday in Elkins.

The monument will provide a space for families of fallen servicemen and women to remember their loved ones. The ceremony included remarks by a number of local leaders and military personnel, a 21 gun salute and a performance of Taps.

The monument was a two and a half year long project and was made possible by the Rotary Club of Elkins, contributors from throughout West Virginia, the Woody Williams Foundation, and many others. Along with being dedicated to Gold Star Families, the monument also honors the late Medal of Honor winner and West Virginia native Woody Williams, whose foundation helped to make the monument and many other Gold Star monuments possible.

Mayor of City of Elkins Jerry Marco, who is also a member of a Gold Star Family Marco, said of the memorial that it sends a message to the family members that, “We haven’t forgotten about you. We’re still hugging you. We’ll put our arms around you. We know that you have a hole in your heart today, but we’re still here for you.”

Justin Daniel McCarthy, a former President of Beckley Rotary Club who helped see the memorial to completion, told 12 News, “The dual purpose of this monument is not only to support the gold star families which was Woody’s wishes but also to recognize Woody so both of those features are incorporated into this monument.”

The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument lays at the intersection of Railroad and Harrison Avenue in Elkins. The City of Elkins was chosen partially in order to honor Williams’s wishes that the Gold Star monuments be spread out throughout the country.