Lexington, Kentucky to Dedicate Global War on Terror Memorial on September 11
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New Veterans Park memorial will honor nine Lexington service members who made the ultimate sacrifice; Gold Star Families to take part in dedication
LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 17, 2026) – Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the course of a generation, Lexington will gather to ensure the sacrifice of nine local service members who answered their nation's call is never forgotten.
The Global War on Terror Memorial will be formally dedicated at 2 p.m. Friday, September 11, 2026, at Veterans Park, 650 Southpoint Drive in Lexington.
Created to honor and memorialize Lexington service members who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Global War on Terror, the new memorial will provide a permanent place for families, veterans, and future generations to remember the men and women whose service came at the highest possible cost.
At the center of the dedication will be the Gold Star Families whose loved ones are memorialized there.
"For our families, these are not simply names etched in stone. They are our sons, husbands, brothers, and loved ones," said U.S. Air Force Col. (ret.) Mark Roland, whose son, USAF Capt. Matthew D. Roland, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2015. "This memorial is about ensuring that Lexington remembers who they were, how they lived, and what they gave for our country. Long after those of us who knew them personally are gone, their names and their sacrifice will remain."
The memorial will honor nine Lexington service members who lost their lives while serving during the Global War on Terror:
Cpl. Nicholas J. Dieruf, U.S. Marine Corps
Sgt. Jason D. Calo, U.S. Marine Corps
Sgt. Robert W. Ehney, U.S. Army
Lance Cpl. Chase Johnson Comley, U.S. Marine Corps
Lance Cpl. Sean M. Langley, U.S. Marine Corps
Cpl. William L. McMillan III, U.S. Army
Capt. Eric Daniel Terhune, U.S. Marine Corps
Staff Sgt. Delmar White, Kentucky Army National Guard
Those nine names span more than a decade of sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, beginning in 2004 and continuing through 2015.
The dedication ceremony will combine military honors, remembrance, and personal storytelling. Retired Navy Commander and long-standing Lexington Television journalist, Doug High will serve as master of ceremonies. Retired Marine Joseph Bates is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, while retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ben Adams will lead a special Honor the Fallen remembrance.
During that portion of the ceremony, the names of those memorialized will be read along with brief reflections about their lives along with the playing of bagpipes. The families of the fallen have also been invited to provide photographs and personal biographies so those attending will know more than their names, they will know something about the people behind them.
Mayor Linda Gorton, members of Lexington's veteran community, and Gold Star families are expected to participate in the formal unveiling. Families will then place flowers at the base of the monument before the ceremony concludes with the playing of Taps.
The program will also include an Air Force ROTC color guard, invocation, National Anthem, military honors, a bagpiper, bugler, and a Patriot Guard flag line.
The project has been spearheaded by Roland alongside fellow Gold Star Family members, veterans, community volunteers, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Commission on Veterans Affairs, and Lexington Parks & Recreation. Planning documents describe the memorial's purpose as creating a permanent tribute in Veterans Park honoring Lexington heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice following the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Construction of the plaza and monument site is underway, with completion targeted before the dedication. The memorial is being installed at Veterans Park, 650 Southpoint Drive, where plans call for a dedicated plaza incorporated into the park's existing veteran’s memorial area.
Global War on Terror Memorial Dedication
Friday, September 11, 2026, at 2 p.m. Veterans Park | 650 Southpoint Drive | Lexington, Kentucky 40515
Members of the public and media are invited to attend.
Media Contact | Dan Koett | 859.797.3646 | dkoett@framingyournarrative.com
About Gold Star Families
A Gold Star Family is the immediate family member(s) of a fallen service member Killed in Action or who died as the result of hostile action and/or operations with enemies of the United States of America. A Gold Star Family can display a Gold Star Service Flag for a service member who died while serving in the Armed Forces. The gold stars on the flag represent the number of people killed or killed. A gold star is placed over a blue star on a Blue Star Service Flag to form a border. The Department of Defense also awards Gold Star lapel pins to surviving family members of fallen military personnel. The pins feature a gold star on a purple circular background and are worn by spouses, parents, and children of fallen service members.
About the Global War on Terror
Click here for more information: Global War on Terror | George W. Bush Library