Mayor Adams Announces Plans For New Memorial Honoring Fallen Post-9/11 Service Members

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) Commissioner James W. Hendon today announced plans to build a new memorial honoring the 99 fallen post-9/11 service members from New York City who made the ultimate sacrifice during their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. As America's longest military conflicts, these wars have claimed the lives of a total 7,057 brave souls nationwide.

The memorial will be built on the waterfront in the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens, the borough home to the largest number of post-9/11 service members who were killed in action. Queens is also the borough with the highest population of living veterans. The new memorial is part of the Utopia Parkway Seawall Replacement and Street Improvements project led by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) that will incorporate a bike path, pedestrian walkway, and rebuilt bulkheads to revitalize the area and mitigate storm risk for the surrounding neighborhood.

“I love this city and this country, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom deserve to be memorialized now and forever,” said Mayor Adams. “With this new memorial, we will honor a new generation of souls who gave their lives far too early in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while simultaneously paying tribute to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have served our country in these wars. I hope all New Yorkers will take the time to reflect on the sacrifice these brave men and women made. God bless their memories.”

Funding for the project will be sourced from private donations and public capital project allocations to cover design, construction, and long-term maintenance costs.  

DVS — in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ (DCLA) Percent for Art program — will lead a public artist selection process to ensure the memorial appropriately reflects the bravery and sacrifice of the fallen service members from this generation. To ensure community input and support, a committee of veteran stakeholders has been assembled to guide artwork design and support the artist selection process.

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will open on Monday, June 3rd, 2024, that will invite artists to submit qualifications and letters of interest to be considered for panel review and the opportunity to be considered as finalists for the commission of this permanent artwork. This project is open to all artists and collaborative artist teams, based locally, nationally, and internationally. A special emphasis will be placed on reviewing proposals from veteran and military community artists and design teams. The RFQ will be open through July 10th, 2024. Artists interested in applying can do so online.

“In honoring the 99 fallen service members from the post-9/11 generation who called this great city home, we erect more than just a monument — we raise a lasting tribute to their unwavering commitment and sacrifice,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Though they are no longer with us, they remind us of who we are as a city and as a nation in these difficult times, where unity, honor, resilience, and reverence for our heroes define our spirit.”

“Set along the peaceful waterside, far from the city's hustle and bustle, this monument site provides a place of serene reflection,” said DVS Commissioner James Hendon. “In this setting by the water's edge, we honor the bravery and selflessness of our post-9/11 service members, ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten. The enthusiasm for this project is infectious, as we eagerly anticipate the development of a monument to honor those who gave their lives in service to this nation.”

“This memorial will serve to remember the service men and women who made extraordinary sacrifices for their country following 9/11,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We are honored to be able to reimagine the city’s public space for this tribute as part of our critical infrastructure repairs in northeast Queens, reminding future generations of these heroes and their selflessness.”

“This new memorial will serve as a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, and way to honor to the 99 fallen heroes of the post 9/11 generation who served this country abroad,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “Through this memorial, future generations of New Yorkers will be reminded of the great heroism of New Yorkers who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. NYCEDC is honored to play to a role in realizing this long overdue tribute and looks forward to working with our city partners and veteran stakeholders on building a monument that properly pays respect to these heroes.”

“To the New Yorkers and all service members who gave their lives for our country, we owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid,” said DCLA Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “But what we can do is create a memorial to their sacrifice that keeps their memories alive, gives their friends and families somewhere to gather, commemorate the lives lost, and reminds us every day of the selflessness and service on which our country is built. We look forward to working to commission an artwork worthy of their sacrifice.”

“As we approach Memorial Day, I am so pleased that a fitting memorial will soon be erected to the New York City residents who gave their lives in service to our country in the years after 9/11,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.  “These brave service members answered their nation’s call of duty after their city was so viciously attacked, and they gave their all to help make sure such a heinous attack will never happen again.  Queens is proud and honored to be the future home of what will truly be a moving tribute to these heroic and selfless individuals.” 

“I am deeply honored to represent neighborhoods which are home to the largest number of post-9/11 service members who fell in defense of our American values, and the largest veteran community in the city,” said New York City Councilmember Vickie Paladino. “As a member of the New York City Council Committee on Veterans and the daughter of a WWII Veteran, all our vets hold a special place in my heart and I’m proud to serve those who served our country. This new memorial will stand in solemn remembrance of those who gave all in defense of our values in the Global War on Terror, and I know our veteran community and all residents of this district are looking forward to this much-deserved honor. I want to personally thank Mayor Adams on behalf of myself and the community for this much-deserved memorial, and for his steadfast and patriotic words.”

“Over two decades since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, today’s announcement of a post-9/11 service members memorial is great news,” said New York City Councilmember Robert Holden, chair of Committee on Veterans. “We must remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and those worldwide, and I thank the city for this initiative.”

“Our nation must never forget the service and sacrifice of those who stepped up to serve in our nation's wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere as part of the Global War on Terror”, said Allison Jaslow, CEO, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “New York City's families and communities lost 99 men and women in the prime of their lives to these wars. I applaud Mayor Adams and his team for ensuring that their memory will be honored, not only in words, but in a lasting memorial that will stand as a testament to the ultimate sacrifice these individuals made for our country. May we all be inspired to live lives worthy of the sacrifice of each and every one of them.”