FORKS – The dedication of the brand-new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument in Forks is happening this Saturday.

Gold Star Families are those who have lost a military family member in time of war, and the purpose of the monument is to ensure those lost in combat are not forgotten.

The concept of creating a Forks monument, which is made of solid granite and weighs 15,000 pounds, began about a year ago with the husband and wife team of Tom and Janet Hughes. Tom, the local VFW Commander, and Janet, the VFW Auxiliary President, formed a committee with themselves as co-chairs and set a goal.

“We started about a year ago and just started out raising money as we go and we were hoping to have it done by the end of this year, which…we made it. Multiple military folk stepped up and they wanted to confirm that their fallen comrades have not been forgotten. So we made it. It’s standing, we got it all installed in the last two weeks and it’s absolutely beautiful.”

Saturday’s reveal and dedication is at 1 pm at the Forks Transit Center, 551 S Forks Avenue. The guest speaker will be Hershel “Woody” Williams, an Iwo Jima Medal of Honor recipient, who founded the national Gold Star Family effort in 2010.

Photo: Woody Williams stands at salute near a similar memorial.