By Sara Beth Williams–
Work on a long-planned veterans memorial wall at the Veterans Community Center in Citrus Heights is nearly complete after beginning early last week, the nonprofit said in an update on social media.
The idea for a retaining wall that would serve as a veteran’s memorial wall has been years in the making, Veterans Community Center president Michelle Grant said last Friday. The project would not be possible but for the generosity of the Elks Lodge of Roseville who has donated time and materials to the project at no cost to the center, Grant said.
The wall is to be four feet high and is located in the center’s outdoor courtyard where many events are held throughout the year. When complete, Grant said residents will be able to purchase 4-inch by 8-inch plaques with the names of their loved ones who have passed. Each brick should be able to hold four plaques. The plaques will display the person’s name, and service rank and branch and other information, Veterans Community Center facilities manager Vince Robles said. Details on how much plaques will cost wasn’t yet finalized.
When asked about what inspired the wall, Grant said all the veterans at the center have inspired her and others toward completing the project. Even nonprofit co-founder Jeane Rounsavell had suggested the idea for a more permanent memorial wall before her passing, Grant said.
Inside the center, organizers already had established an “honor wall” which honors veterans who have been part of the center who have passed on. Grant said the outdoor retaining wall will be a permanent extension of that, and will be a place to “honor and remember” those who have come before.
“I really want to give credit to the Elks Lodge,” Grant said, adding that the vet center facilities manager has also helped facilitate the project.
The Elks Lodge of Roseville has also partnered with the Veterans Community Center on other efforts. The vet center is a nonprofit and does not receive any government funding.
Last year, the Elks Lodge of Roseville helped replace a dilapidated wooden boardwalk with a cement sidewalk at the back of the inner courtyard, Robles and Grant said. The Elks Lodge of Roseville also sponsors a lunch for veterans once a month.
Construction on the wall is nearly complete, the veterans center shared on Monday in a social media update. Details on memorial plaques and how to order them hasn’t yet been finalized. For more information, and to hear continued updates, visit the veterans center’s website
