A scholarship named after Matthew Wallace has started. The Hampton
Roads VA NROTC decided to create a scholarship for the children of soldiers who loose their lives in the fight against Global Terrorism. The scholarship is the Wallace Patriot Fund.
Matt's sister, Abby, is part of the NROTC in VA, which is how the connection got made between VA and MD. The scholarship will provide an education at Old Dominion University in VA, of which Matt's parents are both alumni, and Abby is a student of now. A further description of the creation of the scholarship and details will be posted on the new web site (see below) soon.

Donations are needed now in order to get enough of a financial base for this to grow to a size that will truly benefit students.

Matt's home church, the Patuxent River Assembly of God, is currently willing to process all donations and forward them to the NROTC account. Please mark you donation for the Wallace Patriot Fund and send to:
PRAG
P.O. Box 828
California, MD 20619
301-862-9200.

PLEASE NOTE NEW WEBSITE INFORMATION: By mid-February 2007, new information will be posted at www.CplMatthewWallace.com Please update your information as this current page will go inactive soon.
PRAG has been very gracious to allow us to link off their site, but with the scholarship it appeared necessary to give this a full domain of it's own.

Even though PRAG's bracelet order is complete, anyone interested is welcome to order their own bracelets via Ranger Joe's online store. The specific item you can order is the customized KIA bracelet. You'll need to specify the 4th ID logo and two lines of text. The following were entered on the original order: "CPL MATTHEW P WALLACE" and "4TH ID JULY 21, 2006 BAGHDAD". Cost is sixty dollars for five bracelets.

The bracelets have been ordered already. No further orders are planned, so please don't contact PRAG to request to be added to the order. Thanks so much to everyone who participated.

The memorial bracelet prototype has been received! Click on the thumbnail for a full-size image. They are quite handsome, made of solid aluminum, painted satin black, with "CPL MATTHEW P WALLACE / 4TH ID JULY 21, 2006 BAGHDAD" and a 4th ID logo and American flag engraved into the metal.

Dignitaries, soldiers, bikers and citizens gathered in Leonardtown,MD, on Saturday September 30, 2006, to welcome home the Army National Guard's 243rd Engineers after a year's deployment to Iraq. The 243rd lost four of their own soldiers during the year. In commemorating their fallen soldiers they included fellow St.Mary's County men Matthew Wallace and Ray Faulstich Jr. A wreath was placed in honor of all these warriors with "Taps" and "Amazing Grace" marking the moment. Both the Wallace and Faulstich families were presented with St.Mary's County flags during the ceremonies.

County Commisioner President Thomas McKay recalled the profound impact he received at the Wallace Memorial Service, "The testimony of their faith in God and devotion to their country was one of those most moving events I've ever attended."

This occasion was a celebration welcoming home the 243rd, they have every reason to be congratulated. They have enough sorrow with the loss of their own soldiers. The fact that they chose to include Wallace and Faulstich was a generous and kind gesture on their part. Knowing these beloved men continue to be remembered is one of the sweetest gifts their families can receive. The ongoing care expressed by our local community is deeply appreciated.

The order of Memorial Bracelets for Matt will begin in the next 3-4 weeks. More information to follow. Keep checking in for details.

Due to the large response to the Memorial Bracelet idea, one of the men in our community has offered to take this project on. He has ordered a prototype braclet, but it takes a few weeks because of the individualized detailing. The Wallace family will receive this for review. Once we know the bracelet is correct, we will post ordering directions on this site. It will probably be sometime in September before it's all straight, so please be patient and check back with this site. Thank you to all for your desire to keep Matt's memory close at heart.

From a letter to the Enterprise from the Wallaces:

He has become your son, too, and you have treated him and us as such

Being forced into tragic circumstances gives us a fresh perspective on life. Things we once valued no longer hold the same value. Insignificant things become significant, and what we once thought important no longer holds such importance. Those who have walked in such places immediately have a kinship with others who are walking there. They do not need to explain; they merely look at one another with mutual respect and admiration for their common experience. It is this context from which principles of life and conduct during troubled times are born. Read More...

As news stories continue to be aired or posted online about Matt, we'll continue to link them in on the Links block to the right of this page. For example, another National Public Radio story aired today, and you can listen to it here. Normally we will not post a blog entry for every story (there are too many!), but we wanted to emphasize that this "Links" list is still growing regularly. If you come across a story we missed, please let us know about it so we can link it for everyone else.

For those of you old enough to remember the "bracelets" worn in honor of soldiers during Viet Nam...

There is a similar product available now that would have information about Matt Wallace on it. It is called a "Memorial Bracelet". They are metal, not rubber. Someone is researching what information is needed to place an order including cost and so forth. If you are interested please reply so we can consider whether to post the details here or do a large group order. The person researching this is already providing them for the Wallace family.

In case you wish to visit Matt's final resting place in the future, the Arlington location is section 60 plot 8410; the GPS coordinates are: N38 52.587 W77 03.825

You can take a look at the Google Maps overhead view here.

The Wallace family is collecting items for Matt's scrapbook. If you have actual paper copies of the various articles listed to the right in the Links block, please either mail it to the PRAG address on the "Donations and Memorial Gifts" link, or post a comment here with contact info to arrange delivery; we already have all the Enterprise newspaper articles, but we need out-of-town papers such as the Post and Sun, etc. Less common publications such as Navy and DOD papers or 4th ID news will be especially valued.

Many thanks to the hundreds of people who stood by the roadside and the graveside; hung out flags; wept as the funeral procession passed by; and did countless other things to express honor for Matt Wallace today. Your expressions of patriotism and kindness mean more than you could ever know. News and radio reports continue to come in from across the region, thanks for passing those on to the family.

As we transition into the next stages of grief, the tender care you have shown this family will remain an important well of strength for them to draw from.

For the many who keep offering "anything you need" - there are ways you can start "doing" now. Someone from PRAG is co-ordinating evening meals for the family; please either call the church 301-862-9200, or reply to this post with your contact information to be added to the list.

There are several practical things and some "wishes" that I'm (Louise) going to suggest. Please be aware these come from my observation or awareness, they are not direct requests from the Wallaces. This is not meant to be crude or offensive; but rather help transform generous words into real life actions.

The girls need to do "Back to School" shopping; gift cards, gas cards, etc., would be a blessing to them.

The family has received many beautiful documents and pictures, some of these items will need to be framed.

Donate "leave" time from their jobs.

The family cars need cleaning. The lawn could be mowed.Keith's car is undergoing major repairs at present, he can tell you what that involves.

If you don't cook, maybe you can provide a restaurant gift card?

Tickets to movies, shows, other events that they can do all together
as a family give them the a few hours of feeling "normal".

Jessica & Scott became formally engaged 3 days before Matt was injured. They drove to NC to join the family at the beach for a week of celebration. They were barely there 24 hours before they came home and their week of joy became a week of agony. Some of you have the resources to give them a day trip package somewhere, restaurant gift cards, spa gift cards,etc., things that would restore some of the time and joy that was taken from them. Jessica & Scott are to be commended for humbly laying down the attention that should have been theirs in order to honor Matt. Their engagement is something Matt was rooting for, let's refresh their excitement.

Responses can be sent to the church or reply to this post with your contact information if we need to make delivery connections.
If you have already given please feel released from doing more, but as so many people keep asking how they can help these suggestions should suffice. Of course donations should still be sent to the Fisher Houses, per the link on Memorial gifts.

Above all, your on going prayers for comfort and grace to surround the family day and night are what they need most. The one thing the family would ask is for you to remember to pray for the many soldiers still on duty, and their families at home. Thank you.

Matt will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday at 10:00. All are welcome to attend the ceremony. The procession will depart from Brinsfield Funeral Home in Leonardtown, MD at 07:30; plan to be there by 07:00 (location is here). Attendees may also arrive separately at Arlington BEFORE 09:30, and check in with the guard (location is here). The Patriot Guard Riders will escort the procession from Leonardtown to Arlington.

An MP3 file with audio from today's entire memorial service is available on the PRAG web site.