CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (OSBORNE) -- The City of Chattanooga is moving ahead with plans to erect a memorial to the five military personnel killed in a 2015 terror attack.
In July of that year Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez opened fired on two military installations in the city. Four Marines and a Navy sailor were killed.
Chattanooga plans to install a memorial near the Navy facility where the men died. Katelyn Kirnie is the city’s Director of Public Art.
“This will be a permanent space where the families of the fallen five, as well as our community and others impacted by this tragedy can come and remember what happened and reflect.”
Artists finalists from Texas, New Mexico and California have been chosen to submit concepts. They’ll deliver their final proposals for the memorial November 1st.
Kirnie says there’s already a mural in the city depicting the fallen five. She says the families wanted the city’s memorial to reflect what happened after the tragedy.
“Mayor Burke has said that our community could have responded to this incident in fear and anger and animosity toward different groups, but really came together as one.”
The fallen five are Marine Sergeant Carson Holmquist, Navy Specialist Randall Smith, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan, Lance Corporal Squire Wells, and Staff Sergeant David Wyatt.
The city has so far raised about a third of the $750,000 needed to complete the monument. You can make a donation toward the project through the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.