Westerville in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
"Reflections on a Family's Journey
through Service and the Welcome Home"
| | Service, Sacrifice, Courage, Loyalty, Devotion, Family | |
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 26, 2026
1. "Reflections on a Family's Journey" Marker
I have always said the best part of a goodbye is that it starts the countdown to Welcome Home.
★★★★★★
The greatest gift that the military gives us is the family we build not through bloodlines, but through the bonds we find in other military families that we know will inevitably endure similar challenges....
★★★★★★
... The length of deployments varies greatly among the different missions. Regardless of the length, the families go through stages; starting with overwhelming sadness, then to picking yourself back up and saying, "I've got this." After that comes anger-you're just mad every time you see happy families together doing all the things you would love to be doing. But you realize that isn't a healthy angle to take so you lean into the pride you have for your service member and pump the kids up that not everyone has a Daddy that is willing to fight for our country the way theirs is. The downfall to this is when the kids realize, "wait, there are bad guys over there in the desert?"
★★★★★★
When
this page online
★★★★★★
... Overwhelmingly, there are service members who mentally aren't ready to just turn off their heightened awareness switch and walk back into civilian life.
★★★★★★
As with all things, those Welcome Home videos don't show the whole story. In that crowd of soldiers you see greeting their families there are some that don't have anyone show up for them... their spouse never got past the angry stage. There may be someone who is walking into divorce papers as they learned that their spouse filled the void of their absence with someone else. There are friends and family that have passed and aren't physically there to celebrate. It is assumed that our happily-ever-after starts at that moment, but truthfully it takes time... it
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 26, 2026
2. "Reflections on a Family's Journey" Marker
On wall to right of opening
Our Gold Star families deserve all of the recognition and gratitude. They welcomed home their service member in a somber exchange on an airfield receiving a folded flag for the final selfless act their service member gave. To them we are forever indebted and vow to never forget.
"Reflections on a Family's Journey through Service and the Welcome Home"
Denise Zieber Leach at the Field of Heroes, May 26, 2019
Erected by City of Westerville and Concerned Citizens and Organizations.
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: Military.
Location. 40° 8.053′ N, 82° 56.937′ W. Memorial is in Westerville, Ohio, in Franklin County. It can be reached from no nearby street. Located in Veterans Memorial Park within the Westerville Sports Complex. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 325 North Cleveland Avenue, Westerville OH 43081, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in the Scioto Valley and in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Proud Tradition (here, next to this marker); Readiness and Training (a few steps from this marker); Call to Service (a few steps from this marker); Deployment (a few steps from this marker); The Service Flag (a few steps from this marker); Transitions (a few steps from this marker); Prisoner of War ★ Missing in Action (a few steps from this marker); Homecoming (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Westerville.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 30, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
