Gresham Heroes Memorial

Patch talks to Tyler Marriott, a local veteran, about his work with the VFW and Gresham Heroes Memorial.

Patch: What do you like best about about VFW and Gresham Heroes Memorial?

Tyler: What I like best is that we uphold and protect Veteran's Rights. Our National Commander testifies before the Veterans Affairs Committee in Congress, every year, stating what he wants to see done for Veterans during his tenure. As for the Memorial, the very fact that I can buy a plaque for my own father, as my personal hero, gives both his and my life meaning.

Patch: How does the work your organization does help to strengthen the community?

Tyler: The VFW and other like organizations give a place for Veterans to gather, talk, and share in an atmosphere of understanding. No place else can you talk about combat and KNOW others know how you feel.

Patch: What is the biggest struggle your organization faces?

Tyler: Funding. The Heroes Memorial garners funds ONLY through the sale of named bricks within the Memorial itself. However, those bricks do not ultimately pay for the expenses of the Memorial such as new flags, lighting repair, vandalism, etc. On top of that, at some point there will be no more space left for named bricks to be purchased. At that point we have NO funding streams at all.

Patch: What do you envision for your organization?

Tyler: In the future, I would like to see the Post itself have it's own 'Post Home' (building). Since it's inception, it has always relied on the City of Gresham for meeting space, having to work around the needs of the City and other users of the property such as the Multnomah District Court. With more funds generated from Post activities, more can be dedicated to the Memorial for it's own needs.

Photo By: Tyler Marriott