Honor our veterans, law enforcement, firemen and medical professionals
OUR PURPOSE
What this project is about
This project has evolved and transformed since its inception in 2008 after a local young man was killed in action in Iraq. The community desired a memorial to honor Tyler Pickett's ultimate sacrifice.
Of the 185 veterans who live in Saratoga, ninety-nine of them are over seventy-five years of age. Seventy-seven (or 70%) of Saratoga’s veterans served in Vietnam, which is two times greater than any other conflict and greater than the US’s 43%. The park will honor veterans (KIA, POW, active duty or deceased) by creating a serene memorial area for remembrance. Currently, Saratoga does not have a comprehensive memorial to honor veterans, nor a dedicated space for reflection.
But Never Forget Park is about so much more.
Honor our First Responders
We believe in the power of community and the impact it has on each of us. Never Forget Park connects us together in a meaningful way, providing a space for remembrance, inspiration, and support. By honoring our police officers, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, rescuers, deputy sheriffs, volunteer first responders, and medical professionals, we can share their stories of how they make a real difference in the lives of those whom they serve.
We want to build appreciation and respect for their work to enhance public safety. Join us today and commemorate their dedication!
Army Staff Sgt. Tyler Pickett
Deeds not Words
He left a part of himself with them.
There is a river that runs through Antwerp, N.Y., and Tyler Pickett, a fisherman, had his eye on it.
Tyler was a soldier at nearby Fort Drum, and on his days off he went into town. He befriended the owner of the local tavern, the same tavern where he would meet his wife, Kristy.
“Tyler set precedence in that town,” said Tyler’s mom, Sheri Peterson of Saratoga. “He would bring his soldiers to town, and they were allowed to drink at the Legion and Mike’s Tavern. He kept them under control; there was no nonsense. That gave that community a renewed sense of true soldiers.”
Tyler, 28, was a graduate of Saratoga High School. He was close with his sister, Amanda, and was as comfortable wrestling, playing football and running track as he was in drama and the Future Business Leaders of America.
He was a protector who had good manners and old-fashioned values, the kind of guy who walked on the outside of the curb.
Hero
“Every time anyone met him,” Sheri said, “he left a part of himself with them.”
For his daughter, Kassidy’s, ninth birthday, Tyler planned a mini-carnival, complete with a snow cone machine, jump house, fireworks, water balloons and a sleepover for 15 people. He hunted, fished and went four-wheeling with his son, Liam, and promised him a beauty of a car when he was old enough to drive. Tyler was deployed during his niece, Amira’s, second birthday and made up for it when he returned. He got her a Barbie car and a pool and let her pick out all the candy she wanted from the store.
On one of his last visits with his grandpa, Jim Peterson of Elysian, Minn., Tyler said his goodbyes and then called a few minutes later.
“Tyler said, ‘What’s that hanging on the ash tray in the red car?’” Jim remembered. He went and looked. Tyler had put three $100 bills inside.
“He knew I wouldn’t take it, so he figured out a way to get it to me,” Jim said. “He was always full of stuff like that.”
Tyler was killed June 8, 2008, in a suicide bombing in Kirkuk Province. When he came home to Antwerp, escorted through the streets, children and families lined the road, waving flags.
“They only knew my son for a short period of time, but it was like they had known him forever,” Sheri said. “I’m glad that when he left this world he was that well-respected. That makes me feel very proud.”
By MARGARET MATRAY Star-Tribune staff writer