Make wishtv.com your home page

New 9/11 memorial unveiled in Castleton

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Oaklawn Memorial Gardens is unveiling a new memorial to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Saturday morning.

The cemetery is permanently housing the large memorial designed by local artist Arlon Bayliss and bo-mar Industries. It will bear the names of nearly 3,000 victims who lost their lives during the attacks.

Among them were nine Hoosiers.

Gary Bright from Muncie, Katie McCloskey from South Bend, Stacy Peak from Tell City and Karen Juday from Elkhart are the victims who were killed during the World Trade Center attack.

Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude from Indianapolis, Col. Canfield Boon from Milan, Maj. Stephen V. Long from Cascade and Brenda Gibson from Indianapolis are the victims who died during the attack on the Pentagon.

Eddie Dillard from Gary died on Flight 77 when it hit the Pentagon.

The tribute at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens will include brief comments followed by a moment of silence.

“There’s been plenty of sacrifice as a nation because of what happened that day,” Tony Lloyd, president and chief operating officer of Buchanan Group, the company that owns Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, said. “Not only the souls that were lost, but just the sacrifice people who have served our country overseas as a result of 9/11.”

Marine Cpl. Josh Bleill will also share his personal story. Bleill is well known throughout the state and enlisted in 2004. He survived a bomb explosion in Iraq.

Bleill lost both his legs and two friends.

He is a walking, talking symbol of hope who uses his story to motivate and inspire others after two years of extensive rehabilitation.