Medals and memories

A sweetly smiling sailor.

A decorated rear admiral.

A tough young soldier.

An Air Force nurse who could easily be mistaken for a movie star.

Pictures of these heroes, accompanied by images of their military medals, ribbons, patches and accolades, have been meticulously arranged on the Wall of Honor in Garden Plaza of Post Falls.

“That’s me and that’s my wife, Linda,” Garden Plaza resident Clay Ostergren said Tuesday as he pointed to where their photos are on display in a hall in the independent living side of the plaza.

Ostergren was a captain in the Air Force from 1969 to 1979, then became a lieutenant in the Navy from '81 to '91, followed by nearly 20 years as a senior Naval science instructor.

"I was involved with missiles, ships, I was an operations officer, testing officer, I was teaching officers how to be officers,” he said. “It was a very proud, illustrious career.”

He and Linda met — and subsequently married — while they were both stationed in the Azores. Her photo hangs just below his on the Wall of Honor.

"What a privilege to be recognized,” Clay said. “They’ve done a beautiful job. Veterans don’t always get recognized like this, and this is awesome. It was just done so well."

Garden Plaza actually has two areas dedicated to these precise displays. One hangs in the independent living building and one is in assisted living.

Garden Plaza executive director Rick Myers said the Wall of Honor program is a project of Century Park Associates, Garden Plaza’s parent company. Garden Plaza's precise model is used in Century Park communities across the U.S., he said.

“As the residents and their families see these displays go up, ones we didn’t know about come out of the woodwork, ‘Hey we want that too!’” Myers said. “It’s really neat how it’s displayed. It really does honor them.”

Myers, sales associate Jessie Stevenson and sales director Valdete Lane, with assistance from Lane's husband, retired law enforcement and Navy veteran Jim Lane, gather information about current and incoming residents, including discharge papers and unit-specific details, to create the displays.

About 50 veterans work or live at Garden Plaza. Staff will also honor veterans on the waiting list and have their displays hung before they're official residents. The displays are given to the veteran or their families upon their departure from Garden Plaza.

“It’s always something that’s been near and dear to my heart,” Myers said. “I’m retired law enforcement, but even us cops have our heroes."

One of the highlights of the Wall of Honor is when new displays go up and people try to guess which resident is in the old photo, Valdete Lane said.

“What they remember is the stories, and then I have a resident walking by who says, ‘Guess which one is me?’” she said with a laugh. “It just brings that whole human side.”

The displays were first installed about a year ago, but ribbon cutting and dedication ceremonies will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. in independent living and 11 a.m. in assisted living. The public is welcome, however visitors must wear face masks indoors. Plans are subject to change depending on COVID-19 protocols.

At 11:30 a.m., all are invited to an outdoor ceremony with the Air Force Honor Guard followed by refreshments and live music at noon.

“Most of the times we celebrate veterans on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, but now we celebrate them all day, every day,” Stevenson said. “Especially people in the service, that’s their pride and joy. They’re so proud of it. They worked very hard. A lot of people have major respect for veterans, so I think that’s important to show how much we appreciate and support them.”