Allow us to introduce you to the Graf Family;, Eric, Christine, Eric Jr., Ryan, and Brianna.  Theirs is the house at the corner of  77th Street and Ticonderoga in Schererville, Indiana. The house so many people drive by and see the map of the United States emblemized on their side lawn.  You know they are patriotic and that the flag is turned into a memorial on the anniversary of 9/11/01; but who are they and why do they do it?
                “I was like everybody else, on 9/11, crushed by the event,” Eric stated.  “As a father, my daughter was upstairs and I wasn’t sure I could protect her.”  The impact of the event caused him to want to do something about it.  He is a South Chicago Heights, Illinois, as well as a Canadian National Rail Road Police officer and his wife of 25 years, Christine, is a fire fighter on the Lake Hills Fire Department.  The event affected them on a personal level, as 23 police and 243 firefighters gave their lives that day.  The next day, September 12, 2001, they bought six cans of paint and painted a flag, in the shape of the United States, on the lawn, alongside of their house, to pay tribute to all who lost their lives that tragic day.  That flag has undergone several changes and is now made of painted rocks to make it more permanent.
           The couple made the decision to continue honoring their fellow police and fire heroes who gave their lives on 9/11, as well as to memorialize all those who died on that day.  On the first anniversary, September 11, 2002, they put up a display as a memorial. It was a simple tribute, consisting of three mannequins dressed as firefighters, raising the American flag.  The next year, flags with the names and companies of all 2,749 people who lost their lives, were added.  It was a task that could only be done with the help of the entire family.
            “We hand wrote most of those names by ourselves, as well as building each and every display,” Eric stated.  For six months they spent most of their spare time creating the display for the following year, this dedication would not abate through out the years. In the nine years since 9/11, the display has grown from the three mannequins to a 150 foot display, complete with burning buildings, the skyline of New York, flags, yellow ribbons, panels with names of servicemen killed subsequently and so much more.  “People keep asking us to add things to the display and we have a hard time saying no,” Eric said.
                The 2004 display included a tribute to all the soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan while in defense of our freedom.  That year Eric and Christine placed panels behind the display that included the names of every soldier, sailor, airman and marine killed in either combat theater.  By 2005, the memorial was expanded once again to include all servicemen of any war.  That year Eric was sent to New Orleans, Louisiana, as part of his duties with the rail road police, to assist with issues brought about by hurricane Katrina; causing Christine to continue with the memorial presentation by herself.
           Eric and Christine found a military decoration, a Purple Heart, at a shop in Wisconsin and bought it for $185, to place in the display.  The Purple Heart (a decoration received for being wounded or killed in combat) was found to belong to Charles Deere of Oklahoma, who died in Vietnam in 1968.  The medal was found to be stolen from his mother’s home and somehow ended up in that souvenir store.  In 2006, the memorial was dedicated to Deere, but the investigation of the medal’s history led Eric on a new quest.  He began gathering the stories of service members from all wars.  One story, told at the 2007 memorial service, was of James Neal who was on a ship stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 and recalled his efforts to stop the attack by Japanese airplanes.  James died four days after that memorial, yet his story is now preserved.
           That year, he was approached by a serviceman who had just returned from Iraq and asked Eric if he would like to put a uniform on one of his mannequins, which had been in combat.  Eric accepted and proudly displayed the well worn fatigues.  Eric now actively seeks out veterans to record their stories and save them for all.  He has two videos of their tales stored. “I’ve walked away from every interview with chills running down my spine, hearing what they’ve done,” Eric stated, “being someone who never served.”
           The 9/11 memorial, however, continued to grow.  In 2008, it became so large that it was moved to a park in South Chicago Heights, Illinois and included hundreds of police officers, firefighters and a marching bagpipe band.  In 2009, the service was suspended because of an illness, but plans are to hold the memorial services in 2010 at the Northwoods Restaurant, 8101 US Highway 41, Saint John, Indiana.
           Eric related that every dollar (which comes out of the family budget) and every hour, was well spent to pay tribute to those who served and died in the service of their country; whether as a member of the armed forces or a police officer or fire fighter, in times of emergencies like 9/11.  “When talking about 9/11 I still get emotional and there are a lot of people just like me,” Eric stated.  “One of the greatest things about doing this memorial has been meeting all the wonderful Americans who feel just the same.”
           Theirs is a story of caring about our country and the people who serve it.  They don’t ask for donations or grants to present this tribute to our past, simply feel it is a small price to pay, to honor those who have done so much to make the United States of America the greatest nation in the world.  In doing so, they become a part of the greatness of this nation; living up to the standards they set for those they honor.  Memorial Day is to honor our war dead, but this tribute to 9/11, presented by Eric and Christine Graf, with the help of their children, is to remember a day of tragedy, yet pay tribute to all those who have served or died for it.  For this they are heroes of the generations, going well beyond what could be expected.