“We will never forget them”

<a href="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/stories/we-will-never-forget-them/attachme…; rel="attachment wp-att-22547"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright size-full wp-image-22547" alt="honor-them-poster-271x300" src="http://laprensa-sandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/honor-them-post…; width="271" height="300"></a>It was a simple premise, but with a lot of symbolism: “Honor Them by Remembering.”
Remember their sacrifices. Remember their service. Remember their patriotism. Remember their deaths. Remember their lives.
There might no be higher honor for Logan Heights veterans than their own community remembering their contributions to creating a better world.
“The veterans from Logan Heights have served in every major war we’ve had since World War I,” said Frank Peralta, a Vietnam veteran and co-chairman of the Logan Heights Veterans Memorial Committee. “These men gave a lot, and many gave the ultimate sacrifice and passed away.”
However, their memory will not pass away. This Saturday, May 18th, 2013, at 10 a.m., the community of Logan Heights will honor its veterans with the dedication of the Logan Heights Veterans Memorial in Chicano Park. Local veterans, elected officials, and community leaders, will attend the event. A reception will follow the dedication ceremony at the Don Diego VFW located at 2100 Logan Ave.
The memorial will honor the past, present, and future veterans of this diverse community.
“These guys are from Logan Heights, they grew up in these streets,” Peralta said. “They went to Memorial (Middle School), they went to San Diego (High School). These were the first generations of Mexican-Americans. These were people from all ethnic groups, because Logan Heights was a diverse community, with not only Mexicans, but African-Americans, Filipinos.”
Almost five years ago, in November, 2008, the committee broke ground for the project. Back then, it was just an idea, something that included opposition from several fronts, even within the Logan Heights community. But at the end, veterans will receive the honor and respect they deserve, Peralta said.
During these years, the committee, a group of volunteers, many of them veterans themselves, raised funds to build the memorial, which had an approximate cost of $28,000.
After a few years of negotiation and collaboration with Councilmember David Alvarez – District 8, the Chicano Park Steering Committee, Caltrans and the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, the Logan Heights Veterans Memorial Committee gained final approval in February 2012, for the monument.
“The people who have been working on this memorial are proud to be part of it,” Peralta said. “This is an honor not only for veterans of the past and present, but also for veterans of the future. Five years ago, this was only a dream. Not it is a reality.”
One of the brave volunteers who gave many long hours to make this monument a reality was Tony Millan. He said he got involved in the project to pay respect to all veterans, especially his father and uncles.
“It was enough of all the discrimination, of all the lack of recognition for these men,” Millan said. “The monument is a testament of their legacy.”
Mexican-Americans have long been recognized as some of the bravest and more courageous soldiers in time of war. While some have criticized the recruiting campaigns that the military has done in Latino communities, the truth is that the armed forces represent a career options for many Latinos.
Although originally the monument was only going to recognize Mexican-American veterans, it was expanded to include all veterans from Logan Heights.
For Peralta, the memorial is long overdue.
“The Logan Heights Veterans Memorial will be a location in Chicano Park where the community can go to pay respect and reflect upon the contributions of their relatives and friends. The memorial should be a place where everyone, regardless of opinion and with no political statement, can come together to remember and honor our Logan Heights heroes.
County Supervisor Greg Cox, who represents Logan Heights and who contributed to the creation of the memorial, said that it is time to give back something back to those who have given so much to their community.
“Our brave men and women of Logan Heights have proudly served to defend our nation and its freedoms and I’m honored to have played a role in helping to make this memorial a reality,” said Cox, who will be present during the dedication. “When our country needed them, they heeded the call of duty. This memorial will be a lasting tribute. We will never forget them.”
To learn more about the history behind the Logan Heights Veterans Memorial, please visit <a href="http://www.lhveteransmemorial.com" target="_blank">www.lhveteransmemorial.com</a>

“We will never forget them”

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