Horse Soldier Monument
Downtown Washington
Honoring Captain Mark Nutsch and the legendary Horse Soldiers whose historic mission in Afghanistan became America’s first response to the September 11 attacks.
Located on the lawn of the Washington County Courthouse in Washington, the Mark Nutsch Horse Soldier Monument and 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on November 19, 2022, to honor local native and U.S. Army Special Forces Captain Mark Nutsch. Following the September 11 attacks, Nutsch led the 12-man ODA 595 Green Beret team into northern Afghanistan, where they worked with the Northern Alliance and rode Afghan horses into combat—the first time U.S. troops fought on horseback since 1942. The memorial features a 10-foot sculpted brick mural created by artist Sten Eisentrager, a 2,850-pound steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center, and native Kansas limestone, symbolizing the local roots of a mission that became one of the most notable unconventional warfare operations in modern history.