They were there to witness the dedication of a memorial bench for her son, Eric, who was a U.S. Army specialist when he was killed in combat in Afghanistan on May 1, 2010.
His friend and Army comrade, Blaine native Erik Bakken, made it his new mission to make sure “Finn” was never forgotten.
“He was just the kind of guy you gravitated towards, the kind of guy you wanted next to you in a crappy situation, the kind of guy who could lighten just about any situation with just a few words, and, lastly, but most importantly, the type of guy you wanted to spend time with—especially when you know time is the most valuable thing at your disposal,” said Bakken.
Bakken, who now lives in Washington State, found out about the Blaine Veteran’s Memorial Park in Tom Ryan Park outside city hall, and wanted to have a bench dedicated in Finn’s memory.
“This is where he needs to be. This needs to be his U.S. soil home,” said Bakken during the emotional dedication ceremony, attended by hundreds of friends, family, veterans, public officials, and honor guards. “This is the place I grew up. This is the place I held in such high regard since leaving for the military–the place that shaped me.”
“You have made it your life’s mission to honor him everyday,” said Maria Finniginam, as she embraced Bakken. “I could not be more proud to be your second mom.”
The bench is in a portion of the park restored by Eagle Scouts several years ago, former Blaine Mayor Tom Ryan told the crowd.
“This park is not a Blaine (only) veterans park,” said park director Steve Guider. “It’s a veterans memorial park that’s located in the city of Blaine. Here, we don’t just honor Blaine residents. We honor the millions of veterans that have served this country and the over 1.3 million people who have lost their lives in the name of freedom.”
The Finniginams are natives of the tiny island of Yap, a part of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean. Finn left behind a daughter, who made the trip with other relatives to Blaine.
“My goal was to preserve Finn’s legacy,” said Bakken, a Blaine High School graduate. “I knew in my bones the people of Minnesota would not let me down–and you didn’t. You didn’t. I will never forget this. We will never forget this.”
