Marshall Colin Farley K.I.A. 9/19/1967
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Folsom Veterans Memorial inspired by Folsom native, 48 th Scout Dog handler, Marshall Foley, was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 28, 2007, in Folsom, California.
The new memorial consists of a visual and physical interplay of several large bronze sculptures including a soldier, a life-sized scout dog looking at the soldier, an eagle on top of a large granite boulder clasping a United States flag in its talons, three 8-foot-tall books with patriotic inscriptions, and a large granite monument inscribed with the names of Folsom’s fallen veterans. A flag-lined walkway connects the new memorial to Folsom’s newly constructed library. A final sculpture, a weeping woman, will be added at a later date.
Just inside the library there is a bronze relief featuring Marshall Colin Farley, his scout dog Bootsy, along with Marshall’s military decorations. The relief had been unveiled earlier in the year when the library was dedicated in February. Marshall’s brother, Michael and other family members, were on hand for the dedication.
The sculpted pieces were designed and cast by Philip Sciotino, resident of Strawberry Valley, CA, and took over 18 months to complete.
The creation of the memorial was initially controversial as some residents and veterans disagreed with Folsom’s plans to build a library on the site of a ballpark originally dedicated years earlier to Farley, Folsom’s sole Vietnam War casualty. However, Farley’s brother, Michael, was very supportive of the concept and endorsed the plans to honor Marshall with a permanent display inside the library.
The scope of the new memorial was broadened to include all Folsom veterans. It includes the recently added names of two Folsom high school grads who died serving in Iraq: Marine 1st Sgt. Michael Barnhill and Army Sgt. Robert Thrasher.
