Beverly L. Byron, LTC, has called Howard County home since 1978. As the daughter of a Veteran and a Veteran herself, she was pleased to share her excitement for the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument project and share more about her background.

Beverly’s father served in the Army during WWII as a transportation specialist. He was stationed in Germany and returned home at the end of the war. Beverly followed in her father’s footsteps and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves Nurse Corps in 1979.

She entered service as a 1^st Lieutenant and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2008. Her first assignment was the 92^nd Field Hospital in Baltimore, and she went on to serve at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky, Ft. Rucker in Alabama, Ft. Sam Houston in Texas and Ft. Meade in Maryland. Beverley’s specialty was in community health programs, and she worked to promote preventative medicine in the areas in which she served.

In her retirement, she continues to support local health initiatives as a volunteer for the Howard County Health Department and the co-chair of Montgomery County’s Child Fatality Review Team. She also supports the efforts of the Araminta USA Organization’s Baltimore chapter and the Howard County chapter of the NAACP.

“It’s an honor to have this monument here in Howard County, and we are setting the standard for others to follow,” says Beverly. “A lot of people have served in the military, and this monument is a tribute to all of them. Thank you for honoring our Veterans.”

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For Glen J. Griffin, the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument means “Service to the Nation.” Read more about his story below.

I was born after World War II. I came of majority age during the Vietnam War in 1964. In that year, I graduated from high school and enlisted in the United States Navy. My tour of duty took me to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East. I was awarded the Navy Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, a Navy “E” Ribbon and a Good Conduct Medal. I also received a “Certificate of Recognition” from the Secretary of Defense in recognition of my service to the nation.

Upon my release from active duty, I transitioned from the military to civilian life and relocated to Baltimore City in 1968. In 1969, I enrolled in college hoping to earn a college degree and find a new professional career. In 1972, I earned my B.S. degree in secondary education. I went on to work in private industry and am now retired.

Thanks to these experiences, I developed lifelong friends who became part of my personal, social and professional life. Following graduation, we went in different directions. But we kept in touch and came back to support the college.

Today, a historical plaque has been established in honor of some in the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. I reside in Howard County.

My true understanding of service began in the military and was forged while attending college. We knew that actions spoke louder than words.

Looking back, I can say that my time in the military and at a university has led me to a life of service.

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Written by Kyri Jacobs

As a young girl, I clearly remember my Pop-Pop’s chest puffing in pride when sharing his flying stories during his years of service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII. Capt. John Greenleaf was a proud Veteran. Both of his sons followed in his footsteps, including my father, Ken Greenleaf, who served in the U.S. Army in the early 1970s.

My maternal grandfather, James Goldring, also served in the U.S. Army in WWII and was shot in battle. Thankfully, he returned home to meet his daughter for the first time, my mother, when she was three years old. 

While my Pop-Pop’s stories of instructing future pilots in the art of flying fill my memories, I also remember my grandmother’s recollections of being on her own as a spouse and single mother when telegrams were her only source of communication with her husband. Her grit and determination defined her, and she was steadfast in her support of her husband and her family.  

Fast forward to 1992 and I unexpectedly found myself following in my grandmother’s footsteps as a military spouse. In marrying my husband, Scott Jacobs, I quickly learned the challenges spouses face and understood that fearless strength I saw and admired in my grandmother. For over 15 years, I juggled motherhood and my husband’s unpredictable schedule and absences before his retirement as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008. 

When my eldest son, Kyle, chose to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming the second generation to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, I was never so proud of him.

Carrying the label of granddaughter, daughter, wife and mother to Veterans has truly shaped my life and who I am today. Having the Howard County Veterans and Military Families Monument in the county I call home is an incredible gift to our community. It is a tribute to all who served and, just as importantly, to their families. The conscious decision to include “families” in the name of the monument is not lost on me. While our Veterans have served and sacrificed, so too have their families. The monument will provide a sacred place to reflect and honor everyone who is serving or has served — walking in the generations of footsteps before them — as well as the families who are often the steadfast support system for our Veterans.

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“As the spouse of a Veteran and a daughter, daughter-in-law, niece and friend to many Veterans, I have seen firsthand the sacrifices our service members and families make. In my role as manager of the Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families, I speak to Veterans and their family members regularly about their hardships. Sometimes I lend a listening ear to Veterans who are experiencing homelessness. Other times, I support Veteran caregivers who need help. Military family members will reach out in need of mental health services. During these conversations, I am always reminded that our military community experiences things most of us could not imagine.

“Military culture is very unique. Individuals and families are often challenged with frequent moves, deployments, the emotional and physical wounds of war and employment struggles.

“This monument symbolizes a commitment to our Veterans, active duty and their families that Howard County ‘has their six,’ a military phrase meaning ‘we have your back!’ This beautiful sculpture on the Columbia Lakefront is the perfect place for peaceful reflection, inspiration, education, gratitude and honor. I am so proud of this community and our county’s leadership for supporting this initiative, and I am honored to serve on the board of the Howard County Veterans Foundation.”

-Lisa B. Terry, manager of the Howard County Office of Veterans and Military Families and Howard County Veterans Foundation Board Member

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Robert Gillette is a Veteran of the United States Navy and the president of the Howard County Veterans Foundation. He says, “Our vision for the monument is to create a place that is meaningful and relevant — a place that truly reflects and honors the service and sacrifice of our Veterans and military families.” He emphasizes that when a service member deploys, whether during wartime or peacetime, it is not just the sailor, soldier, airman or marine who serves; their families — mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and children — also serve. “It is why we use the term, ‘military families.’”

“There is an old Navy tradition where sailors whose wives have given birth while they deployed are allowed to leave the ship first when it returns to port. I have powerful memories of witnessing that tender moment when my shipmates meet their newborn son or daughter for the first time. Seeing that reunion is something I will never forget. Many of us have seen videos of service members coming home and surprising their families.

“Those videos and images evoke different emotions for everyone. For Veterans like me, they bring back the same feelings I experienced when my ship returned from deployment, and I was reunited with my family. For others, such images inspire a sense of patriotism and pride in our military, along with profound gratitude for the freedoms we all enjoy. Yet for some, our Gold Star families, these images evoke a sense of loss and a deep longing for a reunion that will never take place.

“My hope is this monument will provide a space for everyone — regardless of whether they have a direct connection to a military family — to pause and reflect. I want everyone who visits the monument to honor the service and sacrifice of our military members and their families,” he states. “Our vision is to create an environment where everyone can take a moment to simply say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ and remember what it takes to protect and preserve the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.”

Want to share what the monument means to you? Click here to tell your story! Want to help us finish the mission? Click here to make a donation to the monument campaign.