Tucked behind the powder-blue facade of the Bigfork Veterans of Foreign Wars post along Montana 35, a quiet and meaningful transformation has been unfolding. Throughout the summer months, local volunteers and organizers have spearheaded a community-driven initiative to establish four dedicated memorials on the hillside. The ambitious effort aims to turn the sloping grounds into an open, peaceful haven where military veterans, first responders, and area residents can gather for quiet reflection, mutual support, and healing.
The emerging outdoor complex already features a completed memorial dedicated to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City. The installation is anchored by twin stone pillars, strategically erected to symbolize the fallen World Trade Center towers and ensure the enduring memory of those lost on that fateful day.
At the center of the shaded hillside stands the centerpiece that served as the catalyst for the entire undertaking: the Bigfork Benghazi Memorial. Originally sculpted in 2014, the monument commemorates the four American lives claimed during the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the United States diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. Crafted from bronze, the sculpture portrays an eagle with a six-foot wingspan swooping downward from above, mounted permanently upon a sturdy rock base.
The striking artwork holds unique historical significance as the only known monument in the United States dedicated specifically to the Benghazi attack. Its presence in the Flathead Valley community stems from a fortuitous sequence of events initiated by Bill Thomas, a firefighter and paramedic based in Ventura County, California.
Thomas was inspired to take action after coming across an article in the Bigfork Eagle newspaper, which mentioned that the parents of Tyrone Woods had relocated to the area. Woods, a retired Navy SEAL and CIA operative, was among the four Americans killed in the 2012 assault. Although Thomas had no prior personal relationship with the Woods family, he felt a strong calling to ensure the tragic sacrifice was formally commemorated.
To bring the initial project to fruition, Thomas partnered with his close friend and local resident Doug Averill. Together, they established the bronze eagle monument on Averill’s private elk preserve. In the years following its installation, Thomas’s nonprofit organization, the 9/11 Honor and Serve Foundation, hosted annual ceremonies on the property to pay tribute to the victims of both September 11 tragedies.
However, attendance at the annual ceremony had begun to dwindle, culminating in a sparsely attended service in 2025. Among the attendees that year was Ron Wenzel, a former New Jersey police officer who was on duty during the 2001 attacks. The anniversary carries deep personal resonance for Wenzel, who lost close friends in the collapse of the towers, subsequently enlisted in the armed forces, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.
Troubled by the sparse turnout, Wenzel found himself questioning whether the public had begun to move on from its solemn pledge to never forget the sacrifices of that era. Upon further reflection, he concluded that the issue was not a lack of community compassion, but rather the monument's inaccessible location. Tucked away on private property behind locked gates, the eagle remained entirely out of sight and out of mind for the vast majority of the public.
Determined to restore visibility to the tribute, Wenzel, who serves as the quartermaster for the Bigfork VFW, approached Thomas with an alternative vision. He proposed relocating the Benghazi memorial directly to the VFW post grounds, where community members could freely visit, reflect, and pay their respects at any time without physical barriers.
Thomas embraced the relocation proposal, and Wenzel subsequently secured unanimous backing from the Bigfork VFW board. Soon after, Thomas and Averill visited the hillside property to assess the terrain. On the spot, Averill grabbed a napkin and sketched out a rough concept for the layout of the future memorial site, establishing a blueprint that local supporters are now actively bringing to life.
Turning the napkin sketch into reality required substantial financial and logistical resources, which materialized through the generosity of local supporters. Skylar Johnson, a Bigfork resident, former Army Special Forces soldier, and owner of Markay Johnson Construction, stepped forward with a major contribution. Wenzel highlighted that Johnson’s critical assistance provided the momentum needed to launch the project, noting that the VFW could not have generated the necessary capital on its own.
As word of the relocation spread throughout the Flathead Valley, the project naturally expanded beyond its original boundaries. Organizers quickly recognized a broader community need for dedicated spaces honoring other military conflicts and service members. During a regular monthly gathering at the post, a contingent of local Vietnam War veterans arrived to express their feelings about the lack of local commemorative spaces.
Overcome with emotion, the Vietnam veterans shared that traveling to Washington, D.C., to visit the national memorials was financially prohibitive for many former service members. They asked post leaders whether a Three Soldiers statue could be incorporated into the hillside design to give local veterans a nearby place to process their experiences. Wenzel and the VFW leadership immediately committed to adding the monument to the site plan.
The creation of a local sanctuary holds vital importance in Montana, where military veterans face severe mental health challenges. Statistics compiled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs indicate that the veteran suicide rate in Montana is 1.5 times higher than the national veteran suicide rate and three times higher than the rate among the state's civilian population.
Bigfork VFW Commander Steve Gordon underscored the gravity of these figures, emphasizing that nearly every veteran has personal experience helping a fellow comrade through profound emotional distress. Gordon noted that providing an accessible, peaceful sanctuary where struggling individuals can find solace and perspective is essential for the community's well-being.
Looking ahead, the Bigfork VFW is advancing into the second phase of the project, which includes seeking approval to construct a Gold Star Family Memorial. At present, the state’s sole Gold Star memorial is located in Bozeman, creating a significant geographical hurdle for families across northwest Montana. Wenzel noted that establishing a local site is a necessary tribute for grieving relatives, including the family of Army Capt. Edward Matthew Saltz, who in 2003 became the first Montanan killed in action during the Iraq War.
(0)