Memorials are sacred spaces. They offer a place for remembrance, reflection and connection, while also educating future generations. An example of this is the Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a decade-long project spearheaded by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 32 and then–Borough President Melinda Katz.

Yet, days after the anniversary of September 11th, concerns are growing over the city’s proposed Post-9/11 Fallen Service Member Memorial and the perception that the very families and veterans it aims to honor have been excluded from its creation.

In May, Mayor Eric Adams, Veterans’ Services (DVS) Commissioner James Hendon and other city officials unveiled Flames of Honor, a $5 million memorial designed by sculptor Douwe Blumberg, planned for Whitestone, Queens. The design features 40-foot metal arcs forming a pyramid, a suspended 13-foot folded flag, an LED-lit stained-glass flame, and five bronze buglers representing each military branch.

In the press release, Mayor Adams called it “the tribute they deserve,” while Commissioner Hendon described it as “a sacred space to grieve, reflect and remember those we’ve lost since 9/11.” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards pledged $3 million for the memorial.

Importantly, the city stated the design came from an open call reviewed by a “diverse advisory panel from New York City’s veteran community.” However, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) e-mails suggest a different story.

While the memorial was officially announced during 2024’s Fleet Week, internal e-mails show DVS had already been handpicking advisory members at least a month prior. The FOIA revealed the agency selected members with no written criteria or process, referring to them only as “trusted community representatives.” Some members even requested adding others, underscoring the ad-hoc nature of the selections. 

E-mails confirmed that the advisory committee’s first meeting took place in early May, at least three weeks before the Fleet Week announcement. However, DVS didn’t publish the committee members names until mid-September. The e-mails also show that the committee was only scheduled to meet “three to four” times through November, leaving little room for meaningful input.

Even more troubling, none of the meetings were open to the public, and e-mails show that fundraising for the memorial seemingly began before the committee even convened, raising questions about transparency and casting doubt on the committee’s role in guiding the memorial’s design, funding or direction.

At a Council Veterans hearing in late 2024, Commissioner Hendon was asked when a town hall would be held so the community could engage with the selected concept and the artist. He responded it would happen “soon.”

Instead, it wasn’t until April that the agency revealed the finalized design at a Veterans Advisory Board (VAB) meeting in Queens, attended by roughly 20 people, including three committee members who also served on the VAB, DVS staff, VA employees and the design team. The memorial was only mentioned at later VAB meetings in Staten Island and the Bronx. FOIA records confirm no citywide town halls or public forums were conducted by DVS beyond the Queens meeting.

Equally concerning, there are no minutes from any committee meetings, no design workshops, and no outreach to Gold Star families or the broader veteran community. Local leaders, including Queens Community Board 7 and Councilmember Vickie Paladino were briefed before the May 2025 unveiling, but wider community engagement never materialized.

These shortcomings echo DVS’ recent “C” grade from the City Council, which cited poor transparency and lack of community engagement. Sadly, the process behind the Flames of Honor memorial reflects that very assessment.

As New Yorkers reflect on the lives lost on September 11th, the gaps in this memorial’s process are glaring. Queens – home to the city’s largest veteran population – has invested both symbolically and financially in the project. Yet, the veterans and Gold Star families whose sacrifices give this memorial meaning have been largely left out.

Memorials are more than stone or bronze. They’re built on validation, remembrance and inclusion. When communities are excluded, trust is broken and meaning diminishes. If the city truly wishes to honor those who served our country after 9/11, it must start by listening. That means holding public forums and creating transparent opportunities for input and dialogue.

As Veterans Day approaches, an important question remains: If the people most invested in this memorial are excluded, then who is it really for? Gold Star families and the broader veterans’ community deserve more than symbolic recognition. They deserve a real voice in shaping a memorial that is meant to honor them and their loved ones.

Joe Bello served in the U.S. Navy/Naval Reserve and has been a veteran’s advocate and organizer in New York City for over two decades. He is the founder of NYMetroVets and a former member of the City’s Veterans Advisory Board. On X: @NYMetroVets