MISSOULA — Gov. Steve Bullock is expected to sign a bill next week designating a memorial at the University of Montana as the state’s official monument to those who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
The Grateful National Montana Fallen Soldier Memorial initially marked the names of 40 men at its 2011 unveiling. Two more names have been added to the memorial, which depicts a family standing beside a soldier’s boots, gun and helmet.
The Missoulian reports the concept surfaced five years ago when Grateful Nation Montana co-founder John McCarrick discussed the idea with Lincoln artist Rick Rowley.
Grateful Nation Montana co-founder David Bell says the memorial has become a bridge between veterans and the university.
The House and Senate unanimously voted to designate it as a state memorial.