New Memorial In Queens Will Honor Fallen Post-9/11 Service Members

QUEENS, NY — The city has announced plans for a new monument in Queens that will honor 100 fallen military members who served in the armed forces after Sept. 11, 2001.

The memorial, called “Flames of Honor”, will be installed near the waterfront in Whitestone and honor individuals who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be designed by artist Douwe Blumberg.

Queens is home to the largest number of post-9/11 service members who were killed in action, officials said. 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 and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, officials said.

The project will also incorporate a bike path, pedestrian walkway, and rebuilt bulkheads to revitalize the area and mitigate storm risk for the surrounding neighborhood.

“Our fallen soldiers gave their last measure of devotion defending the American Dream, and we could not call ourselves the greatest city on the globe if we did not give them the tribute they deserve,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “With this memorial, we will honor a new generation of souls who gave their lives far too early in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and say ‘thank you’ to our service members and veterans every day of the year with a beautiful space for remembrance and reflection."

The site will provide a space for future commemorations, honoring both the fallen and the broader veteran community.

"I am humbled and honored to use my artistic gifts to help the City of New York pay tribute to those who have sacrificed everything for their nation. My hope is that this piece of fine art reminds us and future generations of their humanity and personhood,” Blumberg said. “This work is a unique fusion of artistic visions, which will impact and engage a diverse audience with the legacy of these fallen heroes for generations to come.”

New York City Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) Commissioner James W. Hendon said the memorial will stand as a permanent reminder that the cost of war is not measured in years or deployments.

"But in lives forever changed, birthdays missed, memories unshared, and time with loved ones that can never be reclaimed,” Hendon added. “‘Flames of Honor’ will give New Yorkers a sacred space to grieve, to reflect, and to remember those we’ve lost since 9/11 — not just as service members, but as sons, daughters, neighbors, and friends.”

A construction timeline for the memorial has not been released.