Dave;

I was at the plaza this morning with my oldest daughter and two grandsons to visit "Grandpa Rankin's" eagle while they're in town. Dan English came out and mentioned his thoughts about adding Sgt. Major Bradley Conner's name to the Killed in Action monument. As the duly appointed curator of the Ronald D. Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza, I share Dan's opinion of giving recognition to those who've paid the ultimate price in Iraq. The challenge is the Killed in Action monument is an 8-ton black marble slab that is engraved with the local servicemen killed from the Spanish American War through Vietnam. At the time it was placed in the plaza, the start of the Iraq war was at least four years away. There is no space to now engrave Iraq K.I.A.s. We added the Iraq marble mural at the time of the dedication Memorial Day 2005. Last July I arranged a ceremony at the veterans plaza for the 116th Idaho Army National Guard to honor those in their ranks who had received commendations, including Purple Hearts, in Iraq and to recognize Sgt. Timothy Kiser, a member of the 116th who was killed in action. The 116th, based out of Post Falls, provided a plaque that is displayed in the Hall of Heroes just inside the foyer.

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