Gov. Kelly honors Kansas Gold Star Families with monument at Statehouse

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Governor Laura Kelly honored Kansas Gold Star Families on Friday by unveiling a permanent monument on the grounds of the Kansas Capitol Visitors Center.

A Gold Star Family is the immediate family of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. The monument unveiled on Friday will stand as a memorial honoring the families of the more than 6,500 Kansans who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“For Gold Star families – the families of our fallen service members – the pain of their loved one’s absence never, ever goes away,” Governor Kelly said. “That’s why it is so important to honor the families of those we’ve lost, the families who have also made the ultimate sacrifice. They are a reminder of the tremendous price of our freedom.”

Governor Kelly asked Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins, Executive Director of the Governor’s Military Council, to explore the process of installing a permanent monument after Hershel “Woody” Williams, a retired Marine Corps warrant officer and a Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, personally challenged her to add a Gold Star Families Monument on Statehouse grounds. Williams passed away in June.

“Today’s dedication of the Kansas Gold Star Families Memorial was made possible by the Herculean and collective efforts of many Kansans,” Lieutenant General Perry Wiggins said.