PROVIDENCE — On the day that his older brother, Sgt. Michael Weidemann, was buried, Richard Weidemann decided to enlist in the Army National Guard.

Yesterday, during a ceremony on the State House lawn, Richard knelt beside the granite monument inscribed with his brother’s name, buried his head in his hands and sobbed. His mother, Darlene Silva of Warren, knelt beside him and stroked his head while murmuring words of comfort.

The honor guard practices before yesterday’s ceremony: Sgt. Russell Miller, of Lincoln; Specialist James Trembley, of Warwick; Sgt. John Young, of Pawtucket; Master Sgt. Michael Senecal, of Warwick; and Staff Sgt. David Brown, of Johnston.

“He made up his mind to enlist the day we buried Mike,” Silva said.

A few months before his death, Michael called Richard from Iraq and told him to wait until the hostilities had calmed down before joining the military. On Oct. 31, 2006, Michael was killed when his armored military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Anbar province, west of Baghdad. He was 23 years old.

In the days after Michael’s death, the Army National Guard became like a second family to the Weidemanns, and Richard, who is now 20, never forgot their thoughtfulness during his family’s time of need. He enlisted in the Guard five months later.

“He did it to honor his brother,” Silva said, as family and friends each placed a single rose on the monument.

State and local dignitaries, including Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts, U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin and Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, gathered at the Garden of Heroes yesterday to honor Weidemann and another fallen soldier, Sgt. Moises Jazmin of Providence, who died in Iraq on Aug. 27, 2006, when a roadside bomb exploded near his military vehicle. He had just turned 25.

The Garden of Heroes, a circular garden with deep pink beach roses surrounding a slab of smooth granite, was dedicated in 2005 to honor Rhode Island servicemen and women who lost their lives during the “global war on terrorism.” To date, 19 names, including those of Jazmin and Weidemann, have been inscribed on the monument.

“This garden is a living reminder that freedom doesn’t come without a cost,” Roberts said.

“There can be no solace for the loss of a child, a brother, a grandson. All we can say is that they have earned an honored place in our memories and they will be deeply missed.”

No matter how individuals feel about the war, Langevin said, “one thing is clear: we all stand behind our soldiers.”

In 1779, Thomas Paine warned America about false patriots, the “summer soldiers” who shrink from serving their country during times of crisis, said Bray, Rhode Island’s adjutant general.

“All of these 19 Rhode Islanders chose to stand and fight while others looked away,” he told the crowd. “America has always stood up against tyranny and oppression. Today we add two names to the list, soldiers who died so that others can live better lives.”

After the monument was unveiled, a lone soldier played taps from the top of the hill while another read the roll call of the dead. A single bell tolled as each name was read.

Then, one by one, each relative placed a single red rose at the base of the monument to honor Jazmin and Weidemann, until the last names on the list were covered.

lborg@projo.com