Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial

Local community members assembled annually from 2003 through 2010 to erect a temporary memorial around the park's original sign, hold public ceremonies on Memorial Day, July 5, September 11, Veterans Day and conduct nightly candlelight vigils throughout each June and early July.

Shortly after the invasion of Iraq, after hearing of the deaths of about thirty soldiers, Asher Milgrom, a local resident of Irvine, created the first display in the park.

The original memorial consisted of thirty wooden posts bearing the names and photos of the fallen.

[3][4][5][6] Also involved was Andy Zelinko, a retired resident who frequently makes suggestions to the city council.

These are all the casualties reported by the Pentagon for the period from October 1, 2001 through December 28, 2014 (the end of Operation Enduring Freedom).