Memorial Day Service to Celebrate Groundbreaking of New Veterans Memorial

Never doubt what a small group of determined veterans can accomplish when they put their minds to it, especially when respect and honor for fellow veterans are at stake.

Residents of Redondo Beach will meet these dedicated vets this Memorial Day as the city pays tribute to the fallen men and women in the military service and holds a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Veterans Memorial.

The traditional Memorial Day service will be held at Veterans Park on Monday, May 31 from 11:30 a.m.

John Simpson, co-chair of the Redondo Beach Veterans Memorial Task Force, said the new veterans memorial is to honor those who have served the nation. "It's so fitting to have a groundbreaking on Memorial Day because we want to remember those who didn't come back with us," he said.  

Originally conceptualized by City Treasurer Ernie O'Dell, the new Redondo Beach Veterans Memorial will be erected between the Redondo Beach Elk Lodge 1378 and the Senior Center at the park. There will be a new pathway from the current rotunda down a grand staircase leading to where the Veterans Memorial Plaza will be located.

The veterans memorial itself will feature five 2-3 foot-tall black pyramids with emblems representing each branch of the Armed Services. The pyramids will surround the existing 38 foot-tall flagpole at the center of the circular plaza. Surrounding the entire memorial will be 24 individual benches, and each will include a plaque acknowledging its sponsor. 

The final artwork and renderings were donated by Civil Engineer Cuong Dang, and architect Dieter Thomas gave over $8,000 of his services pro bono to create the final working drawings and design plans, which were submitted to the City Council for approval in March.

Constructions are scheduled to begin in July once the city council approves and slated to be completed in November.

Back in 2004, O'Dell, an Army veteran, along with a small group of veterans, presented an original design of the new memorial at a Recreation and Parks Commission meeting.

Although it was enthusiastically accepted, the project sat idle until then City Councilman Chris Cagle contacted members of the planning group in 2008 and said funds were available if they would request it.

O'Dell gathered his fellow Redondo Beach Rotary Club members and veterans; Herb Masi, John Simpson, and Larry Futrell. The original group was soon expanded to include Chris Meyer and Tom Lasser. The city donated $50,000 with the idea that the group would match it or lose it within a year. The group not only matched the donation, they exceeded it in six months raising $65,000. As a result, they officially became the Redondo Beach Veterans Memorial Task Force.

"We all get along," Simpson, a Korean War vet, said. "We may not agree with each other's politics, but we don't talk about that, we only talk about getting a memorial for the city."

"The Memorial gives me a reason to get up every day. I talk to everyone about it. It's a community project and we just happen to be the ones kicking butt and taking names," he said.

Within two years, this team of seven dedicated men representing all branches of the military service has raised $265,000, exceeding the $250,000 estimated cost to build the new veterans memorial plaza. 

The project has truly been a grassroots operation, Masi said. "We only have one major donor which has been the City of Redondo Beach. The majority have been smaller donations. This is going to be quite a draw to the city when it's done," he said.

The Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe's office donated $7,000 to sponsor one of the pyramids, and Meyers was responsible for securing a donation of $7,000 from the Schriever Chapter of the Air Force Association. 

Over 250 memorial bricks honoring veterans and military personnel have been purchased for $100 each. These bricks will be placed around the plaza, then up the staircase to the rotunda and eventually on the sidewalks. The task force intends to continue to sell bricks to obtain the required $250,000 that will be used to maintain the memorial as promised to the city.

Bricks can be used to honor a fallen soldier or a veteran from any branch of the service, Masi said. 

"It's open to anyone who wants to support the military living or dead," he said. "People can even just say, 'Thanks Veterans.' It's a recognition."

Residents and businesses also are encouraged to purchase the memorial benches for $3,000 to support the project. 

For more information, call (310) 993-4637 or (310) 562-1121, or log on to www.rbveteransmemorial.com

The Elks Lodge will host the annual barbecue following the event. It is free for veterans and Fire/Police personnel and $5 for all others.