Keizer officials and community volunteers dedicated Oregon’s first Woody Williams Foundation Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on Feb. 7 at PFC Ryan J. Hill Park, closing out an 18-month fundraising and construction effort powered largely by local volunteers and civic groups.
The monument joins the Woody Williams Foundation’s national network of Gold Star memorials honoring families who have lost a service member. Speakers described the site as both a public tribute and a year-round place for reflection for Gold Star families and the wider community.
The ceremony opened with an invocation asking for God’s blessing on the memorial and thanking those who supported the project through donations and labor. The prayer asked that the memorial serve as “a reminder of our gratitude” and that “your loving spirit be felt here each time a family visits.”
A central moment of the dedication focused on the story of PFC Ryan J. Hill, whom his mother described as the only Keizer resident killed in combat. She thanked the city and community for completing the project, saying Oregon would not have a Gold Star Family Monument without Keizer’s commitment. She said she hopes the memorial encourages residents to learn the stories of Gold Star families and recognize that military service affects entire households, not only the service member.
She described her son as someone drawn to service and responsibility, pointing to his time in the Oregon National Guard Youth Challenge Program, which she said he completed at an accelerated pace. She recalled receiving a call in July 2006 about his deployment to Iraq, followed by the notification on Jan. 19, 2007, that he had been killed by a command-wired improvised explosive device. She said he often volunteered for added responsibility within his unit, including taking the lead vehicle position to help protect fellow soldiers.
She also spoke about the broader toll borne by the unit, saying the Blue Spaderkater Task Force lost 34 soldiers killed in action and saw 120 injured during its deployment, later receiving a Presidential Unit Citation in 2012. She closed by asking residents to pause when they see memorials and flags, and to remember the sacrifice made not only by service members but by their families as well.
Project leaders used the dedication to outline how the memorial came together and to recognize those who contributed. Matt Lawyer, chair of the Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and a U.S. Navy veteran, said the idea was presented to the Parks Board in June 2024. Within two months, the city approved the location at the park and the project received its first $2,000 donation from Pacific Stairway.
Construction began Jan. 8, 2025, with demolition of an old fountain, Lawyer said. Over the next year, 35 volunteers worked across 37 workdays, contributing more than 750 hours. Lawyer described the effort in two phases: demolition that removed large volumes of debris from the former fountain, followed by construction of the monument plaza led by a core volunteer crew that included members of the Keizer Rotary Satellite Club.
Lawyer highlighted in-kind support and key labor contributions, including help from R&R Tree Service with removal of a tree at the site and reuse of much of the stone and concrete from the demolished structure. He said Salem Electric donated time and materials to install monument lighting and illuminate the flag. He also credited volunteer Mark Caillier with donating more than 200 hours across demolition, logistics and construction coordination.
On funding, Lawyer said the City of Keizer provided a $10,000 grant and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Veterans and War Memorials Grant Program contributed more than $80,000 in support. The Home Depot Foundation provided funds and resources, and additional support came from local civic groups and individual donors.
Retired Oregon National Guard Col. Kevin Dial offered historical context on the Gold Star tradition, tracing it to World War I-era service banners displayed by families. A blue star signified a loved one serving, while a gold star marked a loss. The gold star, Dial said, represents “service unfinished, love enduring, and families forever changed.” He said the memorial is meant to ensure families’ sacrifices are recognized and that future visitors understand the personal cost behind military service.
A representative of the Woody Williams Foundation connected the Keizer memorial to the foundation’s broader mission, describing how Williams expanded his advocacy for Gold Star families after hearing from a grieving father that “fathers grieve too.” The speaker referenced the memorial’s red poppy as a symbol tied to World War I remembrance, read from “In Flanders Fields,” and encouraged attendees to share the name of a fallen service member with someone who did not attend the ceremony.
