A new memorial to military veterans will be dedicated in Leavenworth on the anniversary of a local soldier’s death in Iraq.

The Leavenworth Times reports the ceremony will be held Thursday, seven years after Army Cpl. David Unger and four other soldiers were killed in Baghdad by an improvised explosive device.

Unger was a 2003 graduate of Leavenworth High School.

His mother, Diana Pitts, chairs the committee that raised money for the Leavenworth Veterans Memorial. But Pitts emphasizes that the memorial honors all U.S. military veterans, not just those killed in war.

The memorial is located near the main entrance to the Eisenhower VA Medical Center and will be donated to the facility.

Pitts said about $70,000 has been raised for the memorial since the effort began in 2008. 

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Information from: Leavenworth Times, http://www.leavenworthtimes.com