November 8, 2005

Campbell’s Adam Estep among those honored

Veterans Day Program honors fallen heroes of the War in
Iraq at the Montgomery Theatre this Friday

Seven young men from the Bay Area, including Adam Estep from Campbell, who lost their lives in Iraq will be honored at a special public tribute on Friday, Nov. 11 at the Montgomery Theatre, in downtown San Jose from 2- to 4 p.m.

Adam Estep

The program will feature short digital videos produced by their families with the assistance of youth and adult volunteers from the Digital Clubhouse Network (DCN), a nonprofit organization that uses intergenerational digital storytelling to preserve history and promote healing.

”We are honored that these families are sharing the stories of their loved ones with us on this Veterans Day,” said Warren Hegg, DCN founder and president. “While there may be differences in opinion about the war in Iraq, there can be no disagreement about our collective duty to honor and respect the bravery of those who served in America’s name, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to support their families here at home.”

Those to be honored include:

- Army Sgt. Adam W. Estep, age 23, of Campbell

- Marine Lance Cpl. Jeramy A. Ailes, age 22, of Gilroy

- Army 1 LT Kenneth Michael Ballard, age 26, of Mountain View

- Marine Lance Cpl. Wesley J. Canning, age 21, of Friendswood, Texas

- Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle D. Crowley, age 18, of San Ramon

- Army Chief Warrant Officer 1 Erik C. Kesterson, age 29, of Santa Clara

- Marine Lance Cpl. Travis J. Layfield , age  19, of Fremont

The families will present their stories during the program, which will include comments by Zoe Lofgren, U.S. Representa-tive, District 16; Chuck Reed, San Jose City Councilmember, District 4; and Pat Dando, president, Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“It is always difficult to face reminders that Ken is no longer here,” says project organizer Karen Meredith of Mountain View, whose son, Lt. Ken Ballard, died May 30, 2004 in Najaf, Iraq. “We did a lot of crying as we worked on these stories, but it was healing. The youth and adult mentors who worked with us showed great compassion.”

The program is part of a larger effort the Digital Clubhouse Network is leading to encourage communities to honor America’s veterans, supported by the AMVETS Service Foundation, which has produced more than 500 digital stories that are being shared with schools, libraries, museums and with a global audience on the Internet.

“Working on these tributes has brought our families closer together,” said Lana Ailes, mother of Jeramy Ailes, who was killed in Fallujah on Nov.15, 2004. “We have helped each other honor our heroes, who gave their lives to defend freedom.”

The families’ stories will be permanently archived by History San Jose, as part of a larger collection of digital stories that will preserve community history at the museum. A DVD of the stories and a Web site featuring the stories and commentary by the families and friends will be released at a special Veterans Day ceremony in New York City.

”By sharing today’s stories with each other,” said David Crosson, president and CEO of History San Jose, “we hope that healing begins and the stories become a part of America’s memory.”

For more information about the program, contact Mary Ellen Locke at 857-8878, e-mail mel5000@sbcglobal.net, or Karen Meredith at (650) 814-3611, e-mail kensmomkm@gamail.com. The program is free to the public, but seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis.