A Wall of Fallen Heroes who protected our freedom was dedicated at Casper Brewing on Veteran’s Day to local soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Art Rodriguez, a member of the Gold Star Family Board of Directors, explained, “Today we dedicated the Gold Star Families’ Wall of Honor for nine veteran’s that gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country.” Rodriguez is also Chairman of the McLean County Veteran’s Assistance Commission and Senior Vice President for the American Legion for Central Illinois.
Rodriguez feels that sometimes families of soldiers are forgotten and explained why actions like this are important. “As we have these Gold Star Families many of them can cope with the situation. A majority have issues. And this is where we come in. We need to support them also within these organizations; the Legion, the Amvets, the VFW, the DAV.”
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David Casper, owner of Casper Brewing, explained why he wanted to install a Wall of Honor in his brewery saying, “I always felt like beer in general, and especially good beer, is something to come together over. And that’s why I want this establishment to do is to bring people together and when you think about the veterans they’re apolitical organizations and right now what the world could really use a lot of is something just to come together over.”
Casper continued, “And when I met Frances (Maddox, of Gold Star Families) she told me about the Gold Star Families. I was really excited to offer a place for her to remember the Gold Star Families and their lost ones. And Veteran’s day had been coming up and we were under a crunch to get things done but I thought we could really do it. It was a lot of pressure to get it done.”
“But the idea being that I think everybody can come together to support the Gold Star Families, especially on Veteran’s Day. A lot of people aren’t aware that the suffering continues after you lose a veteran. And that burden is carried by the families for the rest of their lives. And it’s one thing to pay the ultimate sacrifice, which is beautiful, but we should honor families who have to wear that burden of the loss,” Casper added.
Casper, a veteran himself, was a firefighter in the Air Force stationed at Patrick Air Force base and did a three month tour in Saudi Arabia.
Maddox says Casper, “… contacted me and shared that he was interested in putting up a Fallen Hero Wall of Honor in his brewery and asked me. So we talked about his vision and that’s when the partnership began. We are real excited to work together. And I talked to Art … and got the approval from the board and we made it happen and it is absolutely beautiful.”
Maddox lost her son Sargent Anthony Maddox in Afghanistan and all she asks is that we remember him.
She told us, “He lived here in Bloomington from Jr. High through High School. He loved football and he earned the nickname of ‘Mad Dog,’ because of his fierce skills. And in 2011 he did sign up to be part of the military and the army and he wanted to work on vehicles. And so he was petroleum fuel as well as a heavy wheel vehicle operator. And he loved his job. And he did it well.”
Maddox continued, “And In 2013 he actually deployed to Afghanistan on his first deployment. And in July of 2013 he was in an incident with an Afghan truck and a petroleum explosion and he was killed from the injuries. 97% of his body was burned. And so we do everything that we can do to keep his name alive.”
