CALDWELL — Cpl. Carrie French was known for loving pink roses, having a bright smile and a bubbly personality.

French’s life was cut short at 19 years old when she was killed in Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 5, 2005, after the vehicle carrying her was struck by an improvised explosive device buried along the roadside.

She became the first U.S. Army female casualty from Idaho.

A dedicated statue of French replicating her big smile was unveiled on Friday at the Caldwell Veterans Memorial Hall, where hundreds gathered to honor her memory and sacrifice.

“This statue dedication is more than a ceremony — it is a lasting tribute to a hometown hero here in Caldwell whose courage and dedication will never be forgotten,” said Caldwell Mayor Eric Phillips, who himself is a veteran.

Just after 20 years following her death, French was honored with a duo statue depicting her and a fellow solider by the Idaho Women Veterans Memorial at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in September in Boise.

The solo statue of French now sits in the city where she was born and raised, and where her body is laid to rest.

Located off Cleveland Boulevard just blocks away from her childhood home and alma mater, Caldwell High School, French’s statue at the veterans memorial hall serves as a representation of the legacy and stories of other Idaho fallen soldiers and their families.

“Let this place become a special place within our community: a place for reflection, for learning and for passing on the values of service and sacrifice to future generations,” Terry Harrell, the ceremony’s dedication speaker, said.

The statue had been a project long-overdue, according to French’s older sister, Sara Gillman, who helped contribute to the design process and ensuring her sister’s statue was replicated with similar traits that described her personality.

Spending more than four hours on a call with a graphic designer at one point, working on French’s facial features was most important for Gillman, who told the Idaho Press she wanted to ensure her little sister’s eyes and authentic smile would be reflected just how she remembered them before she died 21 years ago.

“When Carrie smiled, one eye always squinted more than the other, and that was one thing that I wanted to make sure was right,” Gillman said. “We wanted it to look like the Carrie we know.”

Made possible by the contributions of numerous organizations and private donations, the $103,000 bronze statue of French stands on top of a pedestal with words around it that read, “This memorial serves as a reminder that freedom is never free,” a common phrase repeated throughout the ceremony. The memorial also includes the names of veterans who lost their lives while in the line of duty.

“Each name etched here today tells a story, a story of a son, a daughter, a husband, wife who answered the call. A life lived with courage, an everyday hero who put country before self,” Harrell said.

Dozens of pink roses surrounded the pedestal. A separate special bouquet was brought to French by her mother, Paula Hansen, who told the Idaho Press she always takes her late daughter her favorite flowers on special events and occasions.

After speakers reflected on French’s sacrifice and the memorial’s reminder that “freedom is never free,” Hansen reflected on a question brought to her more than two decades ago after she was asked what the phrase meant to her as someone whose daughter paid the price to defend her country.

“After Carrie died, my mother said to me, ‘Did you ever wish it was somebody else?’ And I said, ‘I can’t do that. I can’t wish that on some other mother.’ It isn’t free. It’s a horrible loss, and we would give everything to have her back,” Hansen said.

Ceremony attendees also heard remarks from military service member Nate Green, who is also the veterans outreach coordinator for the Office of U.S. Sen. Jim Risch. Green read remarks on behalf of the senator, which highlighted French’s Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart award.

“The statue being dedicated today stands as a permanent reminder of Carrie’s heroism and the unparalleled sacrifices made by men, women, and families in our forces,” Green said.

Present were also veterans from the same combat brigade as French and who attended her honor detail in Iraq before her body was transferred onto an aircraft back home.

This includes Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Whittier of the 145th Support Battalion Command, who felt like he owed it to French to travel from southeast Idaho for her statue dedication ceremony. Out of 700 soldiers in the brigade that he oversaw, French’s bright smile, ability to cheer up others and eagerness to serve stood out to him the most.

“While some people were a little afraid or timid of being involved in a combat operation, she was not. She had heart, so she wanted to do her part,” Whittier said.

In addition to the unforgettable charm she shared with those around her, French has remained someone special for Whittier after being the only female to be killed in combat during his 36 years that he actively served.

“She should never be forgotten. I won’t forget her; nobody else should too, because of the sacrifice she gave,” Whittier said.