Modesto man puts out crosses for fallen heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan and other wars
Dan Joseph of Modesto has a Memorial Day lawn display honoring the fallen heroes from the Northern San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills.
Joseph put out 60 white crosses on his front lawn this year, each with a small American flag, to remember the Marine Corps, Army and Navy personnel who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Additional crosses bear the names of fallen peace officers, including Stockton police Officer Jimmy Inn, who was shot and killed May 11 while on a domestic violence call.
The display at Joseph’s home on Woodland Avenue also recognizes those who made the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts back to the Revolutionary War.
The Modesto resident hopes the annual display along a fairly busy street, west of Carpenter Road, will show people the true meaning of Memorial Day. It’s also a comfort for families who lost a loved one.
Joseph said he knows about a third of the families related to the fallen war heroes.
“A lot of families come and leave flowers at the crosses, and sometimes it is total strangers,” Joseph said. “Once, I got up in the morning and found a rose at every cross.”
Joseph, 66, began the Memorial Day tribute in the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He is a videographer and offered to assist bereaved families in the Modesto area by recording the funeral services.
“I got to know some of the families,” said Joseph, who has no military background. “It motivated me to put up this display.”
Mike Anderson of Modesto said he considers Joseph a true American patriot. His son, Marine Cpl. Michael Anderson, Jr., was killed in the battle for Fallujah in 2004. It was Stanislaus County’s first fatality in Iraq.
“As parents of fallen soldiers, one of the things we fear is that our kids’ sacrifice will be forgotten,” Anderson said. “For him to take the time to build this and put it out every year, it is important. It is paramount that we never forget.”
The crosses honor service people from a Central Valley region stretching from Lodi to Merced, and from Tracy to the foothills.
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who suffered from PTSD or trauma leading to suicide are remembered as well. “They are casualties of war and deserve the honor,” Joseph said.
The lawn display, at 2109 Woodland Ave., near Rosemore Avenue, is open to the public and to family members of the fallen heroes.
This story was originally published May 30, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
