By By Lydia Grimes – features reporter
The names and photos of three Brewton area natives will be on display in the state Capitol as a reminder of their courage, state officials said.
The names of Sgt. Tamara Thurman, Cpl. Chris Winchester and SSgt. Phillip Travis have been engraved on the monument dedicated to the memory of the lives of Alabamians lost in the war on terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, attack at the World Trade Center. The memorial stands eight feet tall and will be displayed in the chamber of the state Capitol.
Saundra Woolen, Thurman's mother, said she is pleased with the erecting of the memorial, but was unable to attend the ceremony.
At Tuesday's dedication, Gov. Bob Riley compared those who have been lost in the war to the “greatest generation” of World War II.
In a letter to survivors of those lost since the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, Riley said the courage of members of armed forces was the main reason for dedicating the memorial wall.
The state of Alabama has chosen the memorial to immortalize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, Riley said.
The names of 92 Alabamians have been engraved on the monument, including Sgt. Troy D. Jenkins of Evergreen.
Thurman died on Sept. 11, 2001, while on duty at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Winchester died July 14, 2005, while fighting in Iraq. Travis was killed Dec. 2, 2005, in Iraq.