Mt. Diablo Beacon To Light In Honor Of Veterans

DANVILLE, CA — The Beacon on Mt. Diablo, a lighthouse visible for 100 miles, will be lit on Veterans Day from sunrise to sunset to honor those who have served.

The lighthouse, which was first lit remotely by pilot Charles Lindbergh in 1928, is also lit on Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Day. The Beacon shined from the summit every night to guide pilots every night from 1928 until Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the Pearl Harbor attack. It was not relit until Dec. 7, 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces during World War II, attended a ceremony on the Mt. Diablo summit in honor of Pearl Harbor survivors. He suggested the Beacon be lit every Dec. 7 to honor survivors and people who served.

On Nov. 11, the public is invited to join local veterans at the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville as they press a button to light up the Beacon in honor of those who have served. Contact Alan Kalin, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 75, at alankalin@yahoo.com for more information.

Residents can then travel a few feet to enjoy a free space-themed pop-up museum, which will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building from 9-5 on Nov. 11-12 and 10-3 on Nov. 13. The exhibit will feature moon rocks, space suits, model rockets, the UH-1 Huey Helicopter and a Fighter Jet Cockpit from the USS Hornet Museum. Robert Fish of the USS Hornet will present a talk on military involvement in the space program during a ceremony on the 11th hosted by Jerry Yahiro.

On Nov. 12, the building will host its 7th annual Veterans Pancake Breakfast from 8:30-10:30 a.m., hosted by the Danville Town Council and American Legion Post 246. Veterans, active duty members, and their families are invited to a complimentary pancake breakfast.

Visit vmbsrv.org for more information or contact Lianna Adauto at 925-314-3309.