1. What is the primary mission of the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial?

The primary mission of the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial is to honor veterans from the "Heart of Texas" region with respectful remembrances in memoriam. The memorial also aims to educate all Americans about the sacrifices made by veterans to safeguard the freedoms of the United States and to ensure that we fully appreciate those sacrifices. It focuses on remembering the cost of freedom and recognizing the bravery of men and women willing to give their all for God and America.

2. Which geographical area does the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial primarily focus on?

The memorial focuses on veterans from the "Heart of Texas" region, specifically encompassing the following counties: Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, McCulloch, Mills, and San Saba.

3. What criteria are used to determine if a veteran is included in the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial?

The memorial takes an inclusive approach to defining "veteran," encompassing "active duty, retired, served one hitch, or reservist." The memorial disregards the traditional "in country" rule for conflict era designation and uses the dates in service to qualify for the "conflict era," meaning a vet in regular service stationed anywhere would be listed by conflict/war. For example, someone stationed in San Diego during the Vietnam War would be listed as a Vietnam honoree.

4. How is the information compiled for the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial?

The information is compiled from a variety of sources, including newspapers, official records, internet research, and obituaries. The memorial acknowledges the potential for "errors or omissions" and encourages users to submit corrections.

5. How is the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial funded and operated?

The Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial operates as a not-for-profit organization relying on gifts, donations and personal grants all of which are not tax deductable. It is not a governmental agency.

6. When was the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial established online?

The Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial has been online since 2014.

7. What are "Deep Dive Stories" on the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial website?

"Deep Dive Stories" are audio files included for veterans on the site. These files were created by NotebookLM, an AI from Google.

8. What does the Heart of Texas Veterans Memorial mean by a "blank check" paid to the government?

The memorial uses a quote from an unknown author that emphasizes the ultimate sacrifice made by veterans: "A Veteran-whether active duty, retired, served one hitch, or reservist is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The Government of the United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including their life." The blank check represents that veterans are willing to put their lives on the line for their country.