Nevins Will be Added to Global War on Terror Memorial

By James Boyle

Even though he went to Bristol Borough High School for just two years, Staff Sergeant Liam Nevins' time spent in Bucks County was long enough to earn him a spot on the Global War on Terror Memorial, according to VFW Post 175 Commander Rich Scott.

"We did not want to say it out loud," said Scott, "but we knew it was a possibility that we would have to add another name."

Nevins and two other soldierswere killed when enemy combatants attacked his unit with small arms fire while conducting range training in Gardez, Paktia Province, Afghanistan on Sept. 21. A member of the Colorado Army National Guard, Nevins body was flown to Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., on Sept. 30 for burial, according to the Denver Post.

Nevins was born in Vermont and spent much of his youth in New England before he moved with his mother and sisters to Pennsylvania. He initially went to Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown before transferring to Bristol Borough High School in his junior year. He enlisted in the army prior to his 2000 graduation. 

Nevins served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan before his final deployment. In May of 2009, he enlisted into the Colorado Army National Guard as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant. Staff Sgt. Nevins attended the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg, N.C. from January 2010 until his successful graduation in August of 2011. 

The Global War on Terror Memorial will be constructed in the plaza located in front of the current county courthouse in Doylestown, alongside the World War II, Vietnam and Korean war memorials. Spearheaded by Scott and the VFW Post 175, the memorial will feature four sections constructed of brick and aluminum with a centerpiece that features a section of runway from the United States Air Force Base in Bagram, Afghanistan. The memorial honors the service of 22 armed service members from Bucks County that died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. 

Efforts continue to raise funds for the $200,000 needed for the memorial's construction. Scott says that they have exceeded their September goals and currently have $100,000 for the project. The goal is to have the project started by next spring. 

Donations to the Global War on Terror Memorial fund can be made via the VFW website or by sending a check to:

Doylestown Post 175 GWOT Memorial Fund, PO Box 1533, Doylestown, PA 18901