Platteville resident Penny Splinter spoke of her late husband Sunday in her opening remarks for a photo exhibit that displays images of more than 130 service women and men who died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The exhibit, created by Patriotic Productions in Omaha, Neb., will be on display next to the Nohr Art Gallery inside Ullsvik Hall until May 6.
Spinter described the service of her late husband Army Major Christopher J. Splinter, who was killed in action in 2003 while serving in Iraq.
“Let me tell you about an average guy, my late husband Chris,” Splinter said. “Chris was an average guy who did extraordinary things. Chris was my lifelong love; he was a small town guy with small town values.”
Remembering Our Fallen is described as a visual reminder of the deaths of Wisconsin service men and women.
“These great Americans aren’t super heroes, and probably would be offended if you called them heroes,” Splinter said. “They are people like you and me–your next door neighbors, the student you sat behind in algebra, played football with or went to church with.”
UW-Platteville Veterans Club President Aaron Bricco helped coordinate the exhibit with Dryhootch, a non-profit organization based in Milwaukee. Dryhootch delivered and set up the photo exhibit and will move it to its next location.
Dryhootch’s motto is “Helping the veterans and their families who survived the war, survive the peace.”
