Honor POW-MIAs in Dubois County - Eagle Scout & VFW Project

Hello, my name is Samuel Osterman from Jasper, Indiana. I am a member of the Boy Scouts of America Troop #185, and I am honored to be working with the Jasper VFW Post #673 on a very important and much-needed Eagle Scout Project. I have had the honor and the opportunity to meet and speak with military veterans who have served in the overseas conflicts I have learned about in history class. I have gained much insight and knowledge about the world these veterans had to endure while they were in conflict. Fortunately, many of these veterans came home to their loved ones, but that is not the case for every soldier who went overseas. Currently, there are over 81,000 military personnel listed as Prisoners of War or Missing In Action, including over 1,700 POW/MIAs from the state of Indiana. These veterans never made it home to their wives, children, and families. For 81,000 families across the United States, there is a piece missing, a sense of loss, and a sense of fear, not knowing what happened to their loved one. And this is why I have chosen to dedicate my Eagle Scout project to creating a monument as a gift to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and to honor those POW/MIAs and their families.

My Eagle Scout Project will consist of a Black Granite Obelisk that will serve as a monument for POW/MIA soldiers from Dubois County, the state of Indiana, and across the country. It will be placed on the Dubois County Courthouse lawn in the center of our county seat. This memorial will benefit our county by raising awareness about our POW/MIA veterans and all those who have served. It will also provide a great backdrop for veteran-related ceremonies, events, and memorials on the courthouse square.

My Purpose Statement for this Project is as follows:

“I intend to provide an enduring memorial to celebrate the lives of local and national war heroes who were Prisoners of War or who are still considered Missing In Action.”

Initial response to my project from the military veteran community has been 100% favorable. Those who truly understand the impact and significance of those Prisoners of War, and those Missing In Action, are exceptionally pleased to hear of this effort, and feel it is long-overdue.

I was inspired to create this monument from my childhood, as I come from a deeply rooted military family, with my grandfather and my brother serving in the Marines, my sister in the Navy, and my father working as a contractor in support of the U.S. Air Force and Navy. As you can imagine, I have always been connected and influenced by the military and its related organizations and movements. From some inner-calling, the POW/MIA movement has stuck with me all throughout my life, and I have been very moved by the stories I have heard of those affected. However, Jasper and Dubois County as a whole have a significant lack of POW/MIA representation, where other movements have been honored and memorialized in the same area.

I have chosen the Veterans of Foreign Wars as the beneficiary of my project, and I hope you will join me in supporting this effort on their behalf. I am reaching out to you to ask for donations to make this Eagle Scout Project a reality. As you have guessed, this is a large-scale project that requires a lot of time, effort, and, of course, funding. This project consists of professionally constructed metal framework, black granite monument fabrication, a concrete footer and base, and associated construction and transportation costs. All donations will be made to the beneficiary of this project, Jasper VFW Post #673. Please consider donating as soon as possible as construction of the monument has commenced with the recent approval of my Eagle Scout project. Thank you for your consideration of a donation, and most importantly, thank you to all of our veterans, including those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Yours in Scouting,

Samuel Osterman