Afghanistan-Iraq War Memorial - Madras, OR - Afghanistan-Iraq War Memorials on Waymarking.com

Located in front of Madras City Hall and Police Station is a multi-war memorial made of black granite that sits on top of a concrete base. The headline of the memorial reads:

Dedicated to those from Jefferson County who went to war.
They never came home.

The wars mentioned on the memorial include World War I, World War II, Vietnam and the Global War on Terror. The lone name under the GWOT is Thomas L. Tucker, who died in Iraq. There is also a sculpture of a soldier rescuing an Iraqi girl that resides near this memorial and is also dedicated in memory to Thomas Tucker. I was able to locate numerous online obituaries for Tucker and this particular one reads:

MADRAS, OR, USA
U.S. Army
PFC, COMPANY B, 1ST BN, 502D INFANTRY, 2 BCT, 101ST AA, FORT CAMPBELL, KY
BAGHDAD, IRAQ 06/19/2006

Pfc. Thomas Tucker of Madras, Oregon, died in the vicinity of Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries sustained on or about June 16, 2006. His unit came under enemy small-arms fire while manning a checkpoint during combat operations, and he was taken by enemy forces.

On July 3, 2006, PFC Tucker was honored in his home of Central Oregon beginning with a funeral service at Deschutes County Fairgrounds, followed by a funeral procession, eight miles long, to Madras, his hometown, where he was buried at Mount Jefferson Memorial Park Cemetery. Along with hundreds of local mourners and military dignitaries, the burial was also attended by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden and others. Even after PFC Tucker’s burial, banners, pictures, and other signs of support remained on display around Madras. Tucker’s friends and other Madras residents continued to put flowers, balloons and banners on the chain-link fence that had become his makeshift memorial.Jerome Mannenbach, Tucker’s shop teacher at Madras High School, told the crowd how Tucker always thought about improving the school’s automotive program for the next batch of students.”We’ve lost Tommy,” he said through tears. “But he’s also in some sense brought a lot back to this community.”

“He was a determined kid,” said Rick Allen, a family friend. “A tough kid.”

“It didn’t matter if it was the Triangle of Death, or whatever they call it. If that’s where the action was, Tom wanted to be where the action was,” said his father, Wes.

He also played the piano and loved music. The 1999 high school graduate had an eye for a good spot to fish, a knack for hunting and a passion for fixing battered pickup trucks.

He also is survived by his mother, Margarett.

I also located another online article highlighting the dedication of the sculpture representing Thomas Tucker nearby this memorial here and it reads:

Madras honors fallen soldier with statue

MADRAS, Ore. (AP) - Residents in the Central Oregon city of Madras have unveiled a memorial to Army Pfc. Thomas Tucker, the hometown soldier kidnapped in a checkpoint ambush in Iraq and killed three years ago.

The bronze statue shows Tucker, dressed in combat fatigues, reaching up to help an Iraqi girl. Sculptor Rip Caswell of Troutdale said his design came from stories he heard about the soldier who died at age 25.

To pay for the memorial, friends of Tucker sold T-shirts and bracelets and gathered small donations, raising about $75,000.

"We've had donations from England, from China - I mean, we have people who are interested in this from around the world," said K'lyn Bush, one of the memorial's planners.

Tucker and two other 101st Airborne Division soldiers were ambushed June 16, 2006, in a predominantly Sunni area just south of Baghdad. One soldier was found dead at the checkpoint site. The others were abducted, sparking a massive search effort by the military. Their mutilated bodies were found three days later, tied together and booby-trapped with roadside bombs.

Speakers during Sunday's 45-minute ceremony at Friendship Park included Madras Mayor Melanie Widmer, Bend Medal of Honor recipient Bob Maxwell and Col. Todd Ebel, the commander of the brigade combat team Tucker was serving in when he was killed.

"The soldier is always looking up to find someone who they can help," Maxwell said of the design. "His job is not always to pursue, chase down and destroy terrorists. He is there to preserve life, too. And he is there for service."

Ebel asked those in attendance to find a way to give back to other people as Tucker did in his military service.

"I can think of no more noble cause than to reach out and help your fellow man, whether in your community or in the challenging crucible of combat," he said. "Thomas' actions were noble, loyal and deserving of the tribute that is put on on his behalf."

Tucker's aunt, Robin Olson of Powell Butte, blinked back tears as the speakers took their turns at the podium and a bagpiper played "Amazing Grace."

"I think he would feel grateful," she told the Bend Bulletin after the ceremony. "He would be appreciative of people and know they were proud of him."

Memorial Placed by:: Not listed

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