CANNON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Every day, service members risk their lives for our freedom—some make the ultimate sacrifice.
In Cannon County, a memorial bridge honors Army Ranger 1st Lt. Frank Walkup IV, who was killed in Iraq in 2007.
After repeated vandalism, the community has stepped up to protect his legacy.
The summer nearly 18 years ago in Woodbury was a somber season. That's when the town lost Frank Walkup IV, just two days before his 24th birthday – killed by an explosion while serving in Iraq.
Back then, Frank Walkup III spoke about his son's sacrifice for our freedom.
"He was top of his class at UT. I had actually tried to talk him into doing something other than infantry," Walkup said.
Hundreds lined Main Street to honor the fallen soldier.
Frank Walkup IV's memory lives on through a memorial bridge on Auburntown Road in Cannon County. But over the years, it's been vandalized multiple times.
"It's very disrespectful if they understand who the bridge is dedicated to, that's been going on for a long time up there," said Andy Olsen, a community member.
Olsen never met Frank—he moved to Woodbury only five years ago—but says he's a patriotic guy.
"So I take that very personally when I see something like that, I take it to heart," Olsen said.
He's teamed up with motorcyclists, business leaders, and community members to stop the vandalism.
"For the past year, year and a half, we've kept it pretty clean up there," Olsen said.
And they're working to raise funds for a permanent memorial.
"Build a sign with his story on it of what he did for us and really raise awareness of what it means to people," Olsen said.
With the Walkup family's blessing, Olsen says this effort is a fitting way to honor a man who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
"He seemed like a really great guy who was willing to sacrifice what he sacrifice for us, which takes a special person," Olsen said.
Olsen says they hold a memorial ride every New Year's Day to raise funds. They've also set up a GoFundMe for those who want to help preserve Frank Walkup IV's memory.
You can also join the "Walkup Memorial Fund" Facebook group to stay updated.
Want to help preserve the memory of 1st Lt. Frank Walkup IV or learn more about the community's efforts to protect his memorial? Watch the full video report and reach out to our reporter at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com to connect with local organizers of this important initiative.
This story was reported by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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