Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park

Lance Corporal Joseph Tyler Welke was killed in action during the Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. A few years ago, MGySgt Glenn Denton, the founder of Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park, met LCPL Welke's father in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The two men began talking about the Marines. The father thanked Denton for his service and then shared his son's story. Moved by the father's love for his son, Camp Hamilton planted a tree in memory of LCPL Welke. It was Memorial Day tree planting for Joseph Welke that eventually inspired this online database, podcast, and future virtual museum. Joseph Welke's memory lives on at Camp Hamilton.