The War on Terror Memorial

Samuel Griffith, who grew up in Holly Springs, became an Eagle Scout on June 11, 1993. Exactly 21 years later, his youngest sibling, 17-year-old David Griffith was awarded the same rank advancement – Boy Scouting’s highest honor.

But for David, the rank of Eagle is bittersweet. The rising senior at Harnett Central High School in Angier isn’t able to celebrate with his brother.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Samuel Griffith was killed in action in Afghanistan on Dec. 14, 2011 at 36 years old, nearly two and a half years before David would earn his Eagle patch.

Sam encouraged David to take on the many adventures of camping, hiking, and building new friendships – the same lessons Sam learned while hiking through creeks in the middle of the winter and selling luminaries door to door in Fuquay Varina. David was thrilled to join Troop 320 where Sam had spent his years as part of Orange Crush.

“I didn’t just want Eagle for me anymore,” David said. “I wanted it for Sam too.”

David had his own journey through the Scouting program. When David reached middle school, he began struggling to advance in Boy Scouts. He was bullied within his troop and nearly quit the program. It was the guidance of Sam that kept him going.

“He told me I could either let the big guy win or I could march into the next troop meeting and show them they couldn’t put the little guy down,” David said of Sam’s advice.

After Sam’s death, David looked to Scouting as a way to stay connected to his brother and honor his hero’s sacrifice.

“I didn’t just want Eagle for me anymore,” David said. “I wanted it for Sam too.”

He became Senior Patrol Leader as a Life Scout and aimed to rid the troop of bullying, instead hoping to focus the boys on rank advancements and making the weekly meetings fun for everyone. When David ended his six-month stint as SPL in March 2013, the troop reported a record-breaking number of badges earned and ranks advanced.

David’s ability to lead grew from that point on.

Eagle didn’t come easy for either brother; both set out to accomplish large projects that would make a major impact on the Holly Springs community. Sam completed his Eagle project in 1992, canvasing the homes of Holly Springs and leading Boy Scouts and firefighters to install smoke detectors and replace batteries for elderly, widows, shut-ins, disabled and economically underprivileged households.

Similarly, David decided he wanted to do more than an average Boy Scout project. He knew he wanted to pay tribute to the military and honor Sam. His original idea to place lighting at the site of a cross in the Kipling community went unapproved for logistical reasons.

David went back to the drawing board, sitting with his grandfather, Thomas Hull, Sr., of Daytona Beach, Fla. The two designed a memorial to honor those killed on Sept. 11, 2001 and all the heroes of Wake County that died as a result of that tragic day.

While they knew the project would take on a substantial amount of time and effort, David and Sam’s parents William and Cherie Griffith showed their support from the inception.

Some took issue with the timing of the project. They didn’t believe David could complete the memorial before aging out of Scouts at 18.

David broke the project into two; he would dig and lay the footer as his Eagle Scout project and build the memorial on his own. He would have to raise $30,000 through brick sales to pay for a black granite pentagon memorial.

Meanwhile, he also struggled with the location. Originally wanting it in Fuquay Varina, the right spot couldn’t be found. David called Mayor Dick Sears to find out if Holly Springs would accept the memorial. The immediate answer was a resounding yes. After working with town staff, David settled on Veterans Park inside the Windcrest neighborhood.

David’s project idea was approved on June 12, 2013 and immediately, he began working on both the personal and Eagle projects. Construction of the footer commenced Aug. 30 with the help of several Scouts and adults.

By the time ground broke at Veterans Park in Holly Springs, David already had nearly 150 bricks sold for the personal project and he had spoken to several civic organizations and media outlets.