Saddleback College plans Memorial Day completion of new monument
Saddleback College memorial will honor the contributions of veterans
By ANDREW BOWEN
MISSION VIEJO — Ronnie Guyer summarized Saddleback College's new veterans' memorial when his speech at the college's campus Wednesday turned into song.
"To fallen soldiers let us sing, where no rockets fly nor bullets wing. Our broken brothers let us bring to the mansions of the Lord," he said.
The words come from the hymn "The Mansions of the Lord," written for the 2002 film "We Were Soldiers" and sung at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.
Guyer, who served in the Vietnam War, joined three fellow veterans at Saddleback College for a forum discussing the significance of the new memorial. Following the forum, city and college officials broke ground with the veterans at the memorial site, which is scheduled for completion by Memorial Day this year.
Ehren Terbeek, a student at Saddleback College who completed two tours of duty in Iraq, said the college's memorial was not political, but it was recognition of the contribution veterans have made to the country.
"The veterans' memorial is not about whether you support the ongoing struggle in Iraq, or support the president or not," he said. "It's about those patriotic men and women who for whatever reason join the military. It's for these men and women who make the sacrifices, and who may or may not make it home, that we show support and give thanks."
The concrete and ceramic memorial has been in various stages of development since 2005, when college administrators began considering ways to leave a mark on the city. Saddleback College President Richard McCullough said it was important for the design and production of the memorial to come from within the college.
"We didn't want to bring something in that somebody else built; we wanted to design it ourselves," he said.
Co-designer Richard White, chair of Saddleback College's art department, said he created a public art class for students to work on sculpting the memorial. He and his co-designer Fred Olsen, an associate professor, designed the memorial to be interactive for visitors, adding a seating area and a space for visitors to walk through, and perhaps leave shrines to loved ones.
"We wanted it to be something that was basically used by the students, rather than something that was just observed and walked by," he said.
Several cities, service organizations and individuals have donated to the memorial, which will cost about $250,000.
To contribute to the veterans' memorial fund, contact Michelle Anstadt at 949-582-4479 or manstadt1@saddleback.edu.
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NEVER FORGET
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A Free “ALOHA RONNIE” Guyer & Freedom loving friends demonstrate against a still Communist Vietnam President’s visit to a Free California in 2007:
http://www.barofintegrity.com/images/aloharonnie.jpg
(News Photo)
FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY for Vietnam..!!
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NEVER FORGET
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