Heroes Park and Plaza opens to honor fallen North Dakota National Guard soldiers

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – A new park with a focus on those who gave the ultimate sacrifice officially opened on Saturday.

Community, members of the North Dakota National Guard, and members of the Patriot Guard attended the official ceremony. The new park has a Heroes Plaza that features a Memorial Wall honoring the 14 North Dakota National Guard soldiers who died while serving our military in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003-2012. The plaza also features six local Bismarck soldiers that are recognized on the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross.

“It teaches us with a playground, with these military statues that our children will be inspired and see things that will hopefully they will value enough to want to serve. If not serve in the military, then be good stewards to their community, their county, their state. We all can serve, you don’t have to be in the military to serve,” said Duane Sand, founder and director of the North Dakota Heroes Foundation.

Matt Geiger, who thought of the idea for the park and memorial, had served stateside, however, he had a lot of friends who served overseas. He thought this would be a great way to give back and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“A lot of emotions today. You see these families who lost a loved one, it’s a very emotional thing. They [those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country] live forever through things like this,” said Matt Geiger, developer of Heroes Park.

To see the park and memorial in person, it is located at 5609 Smette Bend in Bismarck.

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