The final design (see above rendering) for Tony's plaque has been approved. The mounting of the plaque will happen on Memorial Day, 2011. There will be more details on the accompanying dedication ceremony in the near future.

We will soon feature posters of the plaque design rendering. The sale of these posters and framed prints will support a college fund for Anthony's son Marcus which we will be opening in Tony's honor through our new non-proft: MEMORIALS FOR HEROES, INC..

Right now we are seeking funding for the 501(c)(3) paperwork for Memorials For Heroes, which will cost around $1,000. This will make accepting donations much easier and will be backdated for the date of the non-profit's inception (which was this past May). So, all donations will still qualify for tax deductible status, even those we get before we file the paperwork. A company called Charity Net is going to do the paperwork for us, and this will cost around $400 with a $450-$850 IRS fee to be paid above and beyond the paperwork fee.

Tony will live on through this scholarship and his plaque. He will also live on through this blog and through his story being told by word of mouth. He will be a role model for future generations, and the legacy of his good deeds will put his young son through college if we are successful. This is the perfect way to honor his sacrifice above and beyond ackowledging it with the plaque.

The following video is a tribute to Anthony Palermo, Jr., who is the inspiration for MemorialsForHeroes.Com and our Non-Profit Corporation Memorials For Heroes, Incorporated.

This tribute took place at the Battle of the Badges II (http://www.battleofthebadges.info/) event earlier this year and could not have come together without the generous support of Norwich University and President Richard W. Schneider. Special thanks to the promoters of the Battle of the Badges II event, the Palermo family, and Steve Martin with http://bpositiveproject.com/.