This holy season, West Virginia National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe have not been forgotten in Washington, D.C.

The location where they were shot while on duty by the busy Farragut West public transportation stop now has a makeshift tribute with American flags, flowers, memorabilia, notes and signs to honor the Guard members.

“We mourn alongside you. Your pain is our pain. Your loss diminishes us all,” one sign reads.

Another sign reads, “Guardians of America, we honor you.”

Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were shot Nov. 26 while on duty in Washington, D.C.

Beckstrom, who graduated high school in 2023, died on Thanksgiving Day. “My baby girl has passed to glory,” her father, Gary Beckstrom, wrote in a social media post at 6:10 p.m. that day.

Wolfe continues to recover from serious injuries. “Andy is continuing to heal physically and neurologically. Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since this nightmare turned blessing occurred,” his mother, Melody Wolfe, wrote on social media this week.

They were among more than 300 members of the West Virginia National Guard originally deployed to Washington, D.C. in August for “Operation Safe and Beautiful.”

They joined about 2,750 Guard members from several states who participated in walking or standing patrols in heavily traveled areas like national parks or Metro stops.

In November, West Virginia officials decided to make the mission volunteer-only, and so Beckstrom and Wolfe were among about 160 who remained in Washington, D.C., as volunteers.

In a Christmas message, Maj. Gen. James Seward of the West Virginia National Guard wrote that the year “brought a sobering reminder of the risks we accept when we are in uniform. The shooting of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, while on duty in Washington, D.C., was a tragic moment for our entire Guard family.

“We mourn with their families, teammates, and units, and we honor their courage and selfless service. Their sacrifice reinforces the seriousness of our mission and the reality that service can place us in harm’s way. It also sharpens our responsibility as leaders and teammates to remain vigilant, to look out for one another, and to take care of our people—always.”

When tragedy struck at 2:13 p.m. Nov. 26, Beckstrom and Wolfe were among the National Guard members on patrol near the Farragut West transportation stop, named for Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, a Civil War-era naval officer known for his heroics and commanding “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

That’s a bustling downtown commercial district surrounded by big hotels, businesses and restaurants. It is within walking distance of many key landmarks. The location is about two blocks from the White House.

The suspect charged with murder and additional felonies, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had driven from his home in the State of Washington.

Video from a location near the crime scene shows the suspect standing on the sidewalk of I Street outside the Metro station for about a minute, looking west toward the intersection with 17th Street, according to an affidavit. The suspect then began running in the direction of the intersection.

At that moment, according to the affidavit, Beckstrom and Wolfe were engaged in conversation with two majors in the National Guard who were supervising the patrol in the area.

Shots rang out as the suspect rounded the corner and fired. One of the majors told investigators he heard the shots, saw Beckstrom and Wolfe fall to the ground and witnessed the suspect, who was dressed in a knee-length, dark-colored jacket and armed with a revolver, fire additional shots.

That major pulled out his service weapon and fired at the suspect, who fell to the ground and was detained by the second major.

Now, that site outside the Metro stop honors Beckstrom and Wolfe. It’s a busy corner with people walking by, some pausing to look at the display or read the signs. One afternoon this past week, a woman stopped and said a quiet prayer.

Photos released by the National Guard show that U.S. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana recently paused by the site while visiting National Guard members from his own state.

A handwritten message posted on a concrete wall thanks Beckstrom “for the ultimate sacrifice you made for our country and our freedoms. We will never forget.”

More signs welcome people to a prayer vigil or express support for Beckstrom’s grieving family.

One sign invites people to use paper and pens provided in a mailbox to write a note. One note from a child to Beckstrom’s family expresses empathy for the loss of a loved one.

“I pray that you will be OK soon. She was so very pretty,” the child wrote in the note. “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God bless.”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Leadership in West Virginia’s House of Delegates say boosting economic development through aviation is a priority in the upcoming legislative session.

Some of the ideas expected include creating a new aviation technician training program, supporting regional airports and a program for helping finance hangar development.

The idea is to expand the maintenance, repair and overhaul – or MRO – work that’s been successful in Clarksburg to other airports and expand aircraft painting.

“West Virginia has a strong aviation industry – for decades. You have companies like Pratt Whitney, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, MHIRJ, the old Bombardier, that have been here for decades and really have invested in West Virginia, and I think what you’ve seen is we delivered for them,” Del Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said.

Lawmakers believe the Mountain State is still positioned to be a center of aviation work.

“We can compete both nationally and internationally with other airport environments to domicile major investments here in our state from companies looking for more hospitable places to do aviation work,” House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said. “That includes like maintenance, repair and overhaul of jet engines and things like painting of major airplanes.”

Riley said development would favor airports with longer runways when it comes to maintenance, repair and overhaul because larger airplanes could land there.

“We have three runways with property that’s runway adjacent that are larger than LaGuardia Airport and larger than Reagan National,” he said. “Those are Clarksburg, Martinsburg and Parkersburg.”

The aviation industry is apparently looking for low traffic, long runways and adjacent property.

Riley said lawmakers could elect to cut red tape for permitting, finance hangars and expand training.

Meanwhile, West Virginia’s aviation industry just received a C- grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers, but noted it already contributes $1.6 billion annually to the state’s economy.

COLUMBUS, OH (Amazing America TV) — ’Tis the season, and there’s no better way to get in a festive mood than hitting the road with your family to check out the colorful displays that bring the holidays to life.

Come along as Amazing America’s Cameron Fontana and his family experience Christmas magic like never before on a weekend holiday road trip through Ohio and West Virginia.

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Night One — Steubenville, Ohio

Cameron and his family take the highway east from Columbus to Steubenville, Ohio. Their first stop: a night at The Steubenville Nutcracker Village.

Nutcracker Village is the brainchild of business owner Mark Nelson and his son-in-law, Brodie Stutzman. To revitalize downtown Steubenville, they thought it would be a great idea to decorate storefront windows with small nutcrackers and turn the area into a must-stop holiday destination.

But that dream wasn’t big enough, so they decided to super-size it. Now there are more than 200 beautifully carved and unique nutcrackers on display throughout the city.

Day Two — Wheeling, West Virginia

Just a short drive south from Steubenville to Wheeling, West Virginia, Cameron and his crew make a stop at Oglebay Park & Resort.

Oglebay Park & Resort is truly a winter wonderland, offering plenty to explore and enjoy. Cameron, his wife Katie, and their children, Chanel and Rush, escape to the North Pole at Santa’s Village and cozy up with some wild friends at the Oglebay Zoo before experiencing the drive-thru wonder of the Festival of Lights.

Day Three — The Trip Back Home

As with all good things, the journey must come to an end. The Fontanas have made new memories on their 2025 Holiday Road Trip and hope you will do the same. As they head back to their home sweet home in the Columbus, Ohio, area, they remind us that the greatest gift you can give your family is love and a sense of safety.

Happy holidays from the Fontana family, and Amazing America. Stay tuned as we celebrate America’s 250th in 2026 and hit the road to explore America, the Beautiful.

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