SCOTT TRUDO STORY
One day while coming home from a business trip, I saw a young soldier kneeling down hugging his child before being shipped out to Iraq. My heart went out to his young wife, who had tears in her eyes and uncertainty in her heart. I continued to think about what I could do to honor that young soldier who was also honoring me by leaving behind his family in the defense of freedom. As a store manager for the Sandy, Utah Wal-Mart, I couldn’t help but think what could Wal-Mart, one of the largest companies in America, do to help teach others that there is a cost for freedom.
In the ensuing weeks, Nancy Workman, president of the Sandy Chamber of Commerce, introduced me to Paul Swenson, owner of Colonial Flag, and a well known patriot. Paul later introduced me to Tony Galvez, a Gold Star Father. I was touched by how much the Galvez family had sacrificed with the death of their Marine son Adam who was killed in action in Iraq in 2006. It is an honor for me to see the level of commitment our group has to the core message and purpose of this monument. This is the humble beginning to the Utah Freedom Memorial Project.
