By Rebekah Green
To celebrate Veteran’s Day, students can take the time to visit one or two of many memorials spread throughout San Diego County. Many of these memorials are well-known tourist spots, while others reside like hidden gems for the community to discover and appreciate.
With origins dating back to 1914, the Mount Soledad Memorial is one of the more recognizable memorials in San Diego. The symbolic cross stands at 29 feet and is dedicated to Korean War veterans. Surrounding the cross are six walls of black granite, with thousands of memorial plaques engraved with individual stories to commemorate war veterans. Mount Soledad Memorial holds a magnificent view of the coast, placed high above La Jolla, and serves as an important place for visitors to take a glimpse into history. This memorial is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is located along La Jolla Scenic Drive South. For specific driving directions, see the memorial’s site: http://www.soledadmemorial.com/index.htm.
Closer to San Marcos is the Wall of Courage, a memorial in Escondido’s Grape Day Park. The memorial is the result of funds raised by a local elementary school, veterans’ organizations, and the Escondido City Council. The Wall of Courage stands as a tribute to the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. The statues consist of two men and a woman standing in front of a wall that is covered in plaques with the names of those who served in the military from World War I to those who currently serve today. Grape Day Park holds many more memorials, including a Pearl Harbor Memorial and a Veteran Memorial dedicated to men and women of all branches of service. For directions and more information on the park’s sites, see: http://www.ci.escondido.ca.us/glance/parks/grape/index.html.
More monuments and memorials to visit:
– Mira Mesa Park- A veteran memorial placed in Mira Mesa’s community park.
– Veterans Museum – Located in San Diego, the Veterans Memorial Center is open as a museum to the public, presenting exhibits, photographs and other keepsakes. The museum is open Tues through Sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a $2 admission fee for Students with I.D. ( http://www.veteranmuseum.org/aboutus.html)
– The Veterans Memorial Garden – Situated in front of the Veterans Museum is the Veterans Garden, consisting of three gardens dedicated to air, land and sea, each having many memorials placed within the grounds. (http://www.veteranmuseum.org/garden.html).