Februaary 17th, 2014 Military and Veterans Day at the Roundhouse
A view of the Rotunda in our State's Capitol Building.
Horses For Heroes - Cowboy Up! Executive director Rick Iannucci with American Gold Star Mother and rancher Becky Christmas and Cowboy Up!director Nancy De Santis.
Navajo Code Talker Thomas Begay is flanked by Marco and John Shannon and Rick Iannucci and Eric Yorty
A Standing Ovation Honoring Our Nations Heroes from our home state of New Mexico!
Fallen Warrior Wall for our American Gold Star Mothers of New Mexico by
Horses for Heroes - New Mexico ~ Cowboy Up!
In a heartfelt gesture of respect, honor and gratitude this 6X8 memorial wall is designed and built to honor our post 9-11 Fallen Heroes. Our wish was a design that would be both a dignified and moving tribute that would express the feelings of our ranch and the warrior cowboy spirit that is alive here in our Cowboy Up! program and in our veterans and active military.
Designed and built by Rick Iannucci, Nancy De Santis, Lavonne Miller, Kevin Dugan and Michael Gabbrielli, it is constructed of our re-claimed barn wood and patina metal with hand stamped brass dog tags containing the name, rank, branch of service, date of birth, and place the fallen hero made their ultimate sacrifice. A large Gold Star circled with a wreath duplicating the American Gold Star Mothers logo completes the flag like design.
Of the pair, one dog tag is permanently mounted on the wall and the second dog tag hangs from a 4-inch brass chain. A wind chime effect takes place as the dangling tags flutter in the wind and recessed lighting casts a soft shadow on the patina wall and the dog tags.
At our 2013 Cowboy Christmas Dinner the Fallen Hero Wall was unveiled and the first dog tags were presented to the attending Albuquerque Chapter Mothers and their spouses. Cabinet Secretary Tim Hale, NM Dept. of Veterans Services assisted us in these presentations.
This one and only privately designed and constructed memorial to our Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes will be permanently installed on the West wall of our Warrior Bunkhouse at the Crossed Arrows Ranch in Santa Fe. We will also stand ready to present our Gold Star Mothers their Fallen Heroes Dog Tag when they honor us with a visit to the ranch.
