In April 2002, the Rahway Train Station Plaza was recognized by Downtown New Jersey as the best new use of public space in New Jersey. Since the late 1990s, downtown Rahway began to see the construction of new restaurants, art galleries, and the reopening of the old Rahway Theatre as the Union County Performing Arts Center.

The refurbished train station and train station plaza serve as a new mixed-use public square, building on the exciting redevelopment in the city's downtown.

The artist specifically chose the plaza because it is a major hub for thousands of commuters to New York City. The Memorial is intended to be a daily reminder, as we rush to our destinations, that our troops are out there facing life or death situations.