Military honors bring community together
Put four City Council members, various local elected and appointed officials and about 200 other active Yorba Lindans together and you'd expect to hear some strong differences of opinion about downtown development, housing density, open government and additional significant city issues.
But one subject they all agree on is the importance of a city memorial honoring veterans and their military service, as they did at a fundraising luncheon at the Black Gold Golf Course Sept. 16.
Contentious elections, controversial petitions and personality clashes were put aside for an afternoon as attendees supported the Yorba Linda Veterans Association drive to raise funds for a memorial at Veterans Park on Valley View Street just north of Yorba Linda Boulevard.
The five-sided monument will honor Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Coast Guard service and was designed by student Bryan Davidson. The vet group, co-chaired by Clay Baxter and Irv Gold, expects to raise more than $150,000 to fund construction of the long-sought memorial.
The event's only fireworks involved spirited live-auction bidding for such pricey donated items as vacations, gift baskets, entertainment packages and a unique World War II-era silver, copper and steel coin collection from Ed Quigley of Main Street Coins and Collectibles.
And dozens of guests, including my wife Jill, won less-costly bidding wars for goods and services displayed on several silent auction tables.
The event highlight was the sale of $5,000 granite monument benches, purchased by the Brattain family, whose son Joel was killed in Iraq; attorney Bill and teacher Helen Davis; executive Jeff and school trustee Karin Freeman; and water board director Paul Armstrong and businessman Greg Brown.
A fifth bench will be placed by Mothers of Military, commonly known as MOMS, with funding from interested individuals and groups. These and other donations can be mailed to PO Box 144, Yorba Linda 92885, or call vet board secretary and event co-chair Sue Fenwick at 714-777-4551.
One of the vet group's continuing fundraising activities is the sale of bricks to be placed at the memorial site inscribed with the names of individual military service personnel.
For example, my brother and I will recognize our aunt, Mary Emeral Drummond, one of World War II's 1,074 Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, who ferried planes, tested new and repaired aircraft and towed targets to free male pilots for war zone duty.
A FINAL NOTE
Next month's Fiesta Day at Veterans Park is an outgrowth of the first citywide celebration in 1968, when the Yorba Linda Service League organized a parade, activities and food booths.
The newly formed League hoped to heal hard feelings from a tough 1967 incorporation battle fought in court actions, election flyers and letters to the editor of the Yorba Linda Star.
But one subject they all agree on is the importance of a city memorial honoring veterans and their military service, as they did at a fundraising luncheon at the Black Gold Golf Course Sept. 16.
Contentious elections, controversial petitions and personality clashes were put aside for an afternoon as attendees supported the Yorba Linda Veterans Association drive to raise funds for a memorial at Veterans Park on Valley View Street just north of Yorba Linda Boulevard.
The five-sided monument will honor Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force and Coast Guard service and was designed by student Bryan Davidson. The vet group, co-chaired by Clay Baxter and Irv Gold, expects to raise more than $150,000 to fund construction of the long-sought memorial.
The event's only fireworks involved spirited live-auction bidding for such pricey donated items as vacations, gift baskets, entertainment packages and a unique World War II-era silver, copper and steel coin collection from Ed Quigley of Main Street Coins and Collectibles.
And dozens of guests, including my wife Jill, won less-costly bidding wars for goods and services displayed on several silent auction tables.
The event highlight was the sale of $5,000 granite monument benches, purchased by the Brattain family, whose son Joel was killed in Iraq; attorney Bill and teacher Helen Davis; executive Jeff and school trustee Karin Freeman; and water board director Paul Armstrong and businessman Greg Brown.
A fifth bench will be placed by Mothers of Military, commonly known as MOMS, with funding from interested individuals and groups. These and other donations can be mailed to PO Box 144, Yorba Linda 92885, or call vet board secretary and event co-chair Sue Fenwick at 714-777-4551.
One of the vet group's continuing fundraising activities is the sale of bricks to be placed at the memorial site inscribed with the names of individual military service personnel.
For example, my brother and I will recognize our aunt, Mary Emeral Drummond, one of World War II's 1,074 Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, who ferried planes, tested new and repaired aircraft and towed targets to free male pilots for war zone duty.
A FINAL NOTE
Next month's Fiesta Day at Veterans Park is an outgrowth of the first citywide celebration in 1968, when the Yorba Linda Service League organized a parade, activities and food booths.
The newly formed League hoped to heal hard feelings from a tough 1967 incorporation battle fought in court actions, election flyers and letters to the editor of the Yorba Linda Star.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 AM
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