Its a fitting tribute for many Gold Star Moms here in Western New York. They are a group of women who share a common emotional bond of having lost a son or daughter in a war.

Some mothers have paid a high price for America's wars. "After the funerals, and all the pomp and circumstances, everybody goes home, and the cameras go home. And you're just left alone with your grief," said Amy MacGregor-Morrisey. She lost her 27-year-old son Jacob Pfister, of North Evans, in the Iraq War. He died on April 19, 2005 during his second tour of duty in Baghdad. And so Morrisey became a Gold Star Mother.

"It's a club nobody ever wants to join. When you tell them you're a Gold Star Mother, its very painful when they say, oh how nice. Its not nice," said Morrisey.

In the past, Gold Star Moms have been paid little recognition. But a 14-year-old Boy Scout sought to change all that. As part of his Eagle Scout project, Jason Maybach decided to erect a monument to the Gold Star Moms of Western New York.

"I knew that not many people knew they existed so I decided this would be a great way to get them out there so people knew what sacrifice they made," said Maybach.

The mothers got to see the monument for the first time Sunday morning, during a dedication ceremony at the VFW Leonard Post in Cheektowaga.

Maybach handed each mom a yellow rose to honor them. "Its nice that a 14-year-old kid thought of us, because most kids that age don't," said Morrisey.

The monument was paid for by the community donations. Maybach organized the entire thing and he's now on his way to winning the Boy Scout's highest honor - the rank of Eagle Scout. He says he learned something from doing this project. "I learned to get out there. The community can be very responsive," said Maybach.

And Morrisey now feels a buoy of support that she hasn't felt since her son died. "It was very generous of him to go to this effort, to have us remembered."

In 1936, Congress declared the last Sunday of September as "Gold Star Mother's Day." So today's monument was held to coincide with this holiday.