Forget Me Not: Explorations of Memorials and Shrines: Shrine

Although this was a project on shrines, I would rather refer to mine as a memorial.

First Lieutenant Stephen Chase Prasnicki was killed in Wardak Province, Afghanistan on June 27, 2012 when his vehicle ran over an IED (improvised explosive device). Chase volunteered to go on this mission, as he wasn't originally supposed to. He had only been in Afghanistan for 2 days. At the time, he was stationed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Bamberg, Germany. He married Emily Nichols on November 27, 2011. They had only been married for 7 months when he died. He was 24 years old.

My memorial for chase is a box covered in red, white and blue, for obvious reasons. On one face of the box is an army star and on the other face is the army seal. On one side of the box I wrote "Rest in Peace" and on the other side I wrote "Always in Our Hearts." Although Chase is gone, I will always remember him. On the top of the box is a picture of Chase, with his name, and birth and death date. On the inside of the top are the lyrics from a song that one of Chase's close friends wrote in honor of him after he died: "A friend to many a stranger to none, go home soldier, the battle is won...The warmth of your flame remains." In the corner on the top of the box I wrote "God Bless." In the inside, is an American flag, along with a Rockbridge County High School logo, a West Point football logo, and another Army logo. There are also red, white, and blue stars on the inside of the box. Also on the inside there is a yellow ribbon which is often tied around trees after someone is killed in war. There are 24 pictures in the box that represent different times throughout Chase's short life. Chase's obituary is also in the box, along with a personalized note that I wrote to him.

The box is covered in duck tape and the pictures came from a camera chip that Chase's dad let me borrow.

As I was making my memorial, I was very sad. However, I was excited to make it and it made me think about all the great times in his life.