3 October 2024
DULUTH — For the members of the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing who have made the ultimate sacrifice, their names are now proudly displayed in granite at the air base.
“This project has always been a dream of the Wing since day one,” said Chief Master Sgt. Douglas Ion. “Since people started sacrificing their lives for this country and this organization. It’s been thought about and talked about for more than 50 years.”
Ion played a key role in helping make the project a reality. His grandfather, Master Sgt. George Ion, died July 16, 1975, and is one of the names engraved in granite.
“I guess pride would be the first thing that comes to mind when I see his name up there.” said Ion. “It means that we’re finally acknowledging the sacrifice that these people have given and honoring them and their families and letting the families know that their sacrifice is not forgotten.
Another thing that meant a lot to me was that we get this done for the other members of the Wing as well,” Ion said. “To let them know that what we do here is important and dangerous at the same time.”
Another active member of the 148th with a family member’s name on the wall is Senior Airmen Nash Tahtinen. His great grandfather, 1st Lt. Wayne Tahtinen, died Aug. 3, 1951.
“I never knew him personally, but I couldn’t count the amount of stories I heard from my grandfather and even from my father,” said Tahtinen. “It’s a family tradition to join the 148th. It is definitely a sense of pride.”
The wall stands in a position of honor, facing the flightline and American flag at the Wing’s base operations building. Members of the media had a chance to see the completed wall Wednesday. Families will see it up close this weekend as the 148th is hosting a private ceremony for them.
“The names of 21 148th Fighter Wing members are memorialized forever on this granite wall,” 148th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Nate Aysta said in a press release. “This is dedicated to the families, the living legacy of those service members whose lives were cut short in the service to our state and nation.”
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