On Thursday morning, October 1st, in a very small outdoor ceremony, the City of North Bend, along with representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, the Snoqualmie Tribe and the Snoqualmie Casino, unveiled and dedicated a special Veterans Monument Stone in the new City Hall Veterans Memorial Garden.
The Veterans Memorial Garden and Monument was the result of a year-long collaboration between the City, Renton-Pickering American Legion Post 79, VFW Post 3436, Legion Auxiliary Unit 79, the Snoqualmie Tribe and Snoqualmie Casino.
American Legion Post 79 Commander Rocky Martinez led the ceremony saying, “We dedicate this site as a sacred place in North Bend where people will gather to take pictures, where veterans will gather to share experiences with each other or just stand or sit alone to ponder thoughts they can never share with anyone else.”
Planning for the North Bend Veterans Memorial began in the fall of 2019 to honor all those who answered the call to serve in the U.S. Military.
The large, commemorative monument stone contains gold-colored etchings of each U.S. military branch. It was created by Marenakos Rock Center, located in Preston. Gino Campanoli generously donated crane services to lift, deliver and place the large, 6-foot tall river boulder that was locally-sourced from the Denny Creek Basin.
Snoqualmie Tribal Chairman Robert de los Angeles reflected on being part of the collaboration that brought the memorial to fruition: “As a member of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and a Vietnam Era Veteran, I feel a strong sense of pride being a part of this important project. As a Tribe, we hold our warriors in the highest regard. This memorial is a small way for us to express our gratitude to the courageous men and women who protect our country both past and present.”
The Veterans Memorial is located just outside North Bend City Hall Council Chambers, with Mount Si as the backdrop. Thursday’s Dedication Ceremony was a time to honor and memorialize past, present and future veterans who serve in times of war and peace.
The Memorial Garden and Monument is intended to be a permanent reminder of sacrifices made and will be made in service to our country and as a place of reflection for veterans, their family members, and the community as a whole.
[Photo (left to right): Marie McFadden (Legion Auxiliary), Lesley Martinez (Legion Auxiliary Unit 79 Vice President), North Bend Mayor Rob McFarland, North Bend Councilmember Ross Loudenbeck, former North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing, North Bend Public Works Director Mark Rigos, American Legion Post 79 Commander Rocky Martinez, VFW Post 3436 Service Officer David Waggoner, Snoqualmie Casino Interim CEO Stanford Le, Snoqualmie Tribal Chairman Robert de los Angeles]
Comments
A lot of the going’s on should have been saved for Veterans Day . Memorial Day is for Veterans who gave their all to defend our country . I guess it’s ok to honor all Veterans but it seems to me that it takes away the meaning of Memorial Day .