Henry Klipple has been gathering photos of colleagues and their loved ones for nearly a year.
A staff member in the Human Resource Service Center (HRSC), Klipple is collecting the photos for a “Heroes Wall,” a wall to thank and remember those who have served our country and worked in the military.
Klipple started the project in 2009, and has since gathered photographs that represent more than 100 years of service. The wall features his grandfather in a photo dated from 1897, as well as his father-in-law A.P. St. John who served in the Navy in 1918, and who has served as the inspiration for the project. The wall also features more recent members of the armed forces, and photos of family members who have lost their lives during combat.
One photograph has special meaning to Klipple and many members of the HRSC family. It is a photo of Staff Sergeant Brian S. McElroy, United States Air Force, KIA (killed in action), the son of Jim McElroy, director of the Human Resource Service Center. Brian McElroy was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) on Jan. 22, 2006 while serving in Iraq.
“Many, many years and tears of sacrifice and service are depicted on this wall. We want to remember every one,” said Klipple, who served 20 years in the Navy. “It is also great to see employees we work with from their service ‘back in the day,’ as well as pictures of their family members and loved ones who proudly served or are currently serving our country to protect the freedoms we hold so dear.”
To schedule a guided tour of the Heroes Wall, which is located in the HRSC offices on the second floor of North Office Building A (NOA), e-mail Jim McElroy at jim.mcelroy@austin.utexas.edu.
