Monument honoring military families dedicated in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A new memorial honoring Minnesota’s military families has been installed on the state Capitol grounds.

The Minnesota Military Family Tribute was dedicated Saturday. Tribute spokeswoman Jenifer Skjerven says it’s a way to honor and thank families for their sacrifices.

It includes a grouping of 87 large rocks known as “story stones” — one for each county in the state.

Ted Lee, a landscape architect and designer for the project, tells Minnesota Public Radio News the stones are inscribed with excerpts of letters between soldiers at war and their families.

Organizers broke ground for the project about a year ago. The tribute also includes a tree-lined walkway and a monument known as a “Gold Star Table,” recognizing Gold Star families who lost a loved one in war.