Encinitas Veterans' Memorial Dedicated

The monolith at the Veterans?EUR??,,????'??? Memorial in Cottonwood Creek Park, Encinitas, Calif., has a circulating water pump that sheds ?EUR??,,????'??tears.?EUR??,,????'?? The wall represents the masses, each stone a face of one who stands in harm?EUR??,,????'???s way. The plaque reads: ?EUR??,,????'??Dedicated to all those who served in the Armed Forces of our country. May we never forget their unselfish devotion to the cause of freedom.

The Veterans?EUR??,,????'??? Memorial in Cottonwood Creek Park opened in early December 2003 at the busy intersection of Vulcan Avenue and Encinitas Boulevard. The unusual location followed the desire of local veterans for a memorial in plain view, a place that would be dignified but not too solemn; a place to contemplate and gather for veteran events not within cemetery grounds.

The U.S., California and MIA/POW flags fly over the memorial. One plaque lists contributors; another has the inscription: ?EUR??,,????'??Dedicated to all those who served in the armed forces of our country. May we never forget their unselfish devotion to the cause of our freedom.?EUR??,,????'??

Designed by Cardiff landscape architect Michael Clark, the memorial includes natural stone walls of various heights to sit on or admire. ?EUR??,,????'??Both ends of the wall are left unfinished to represent the unfinished lives of those who have perished in the line of duty,?EUR??,,????'?? Clark explained.

When many of Clark?EUR??,,????'???s friends were sent to Vietnam, Clark stayed behind due to a physical problem. He donated his design to honor those who went. For Clark it was a three-year project, but for the Veterans?EUR??,,????'??? Association it took 10 years to get it off the ground. They had to decide who would design the memorial and what they wanted to say. Funding came from the city of Encinitas.

The ends of the wall are left unfinished to represent the abbreviated lives of those who have perished in the line of duty. The undulating design represents the flag.

?EUR??,,????'??Initially we got input from World War II and Korean War vets, but it took a while to get the funding,?EUR??,,????'?? said Clark. ?EUR??,,????'??There?EUR??,,????'???s also a big gap between Vietnam and Desert Storm vets, so for a time, there weren?EUR??,,????'???t too many people involved.?EUR??,,????'??

Clark listened to dozens of veterans and got their thoughts and tried to create a design for the memorial. ?EUR??,,????'??What ended up in the park is stunningly close to my vision,?EUR??,,????'?? said Clark. ?EUR??,,????'??The lines are simple. There?EUR??,,????'???s not a lot of intricacy there. The waving line represents the waving flag. It?EUR??,,????'???s not a busy design, but there?EUR??,,????'???s lots of symbolism in the structure.?EUR??,,????'??

The monolith has a circulating water pump that brings forth ?EUR??,,????'??tears.?EUR??,,????'?? The wall represents the masses, each stone a face of one who stands in harm?EUR??,,????'???s way. Masons installed the stones to create a dry stacked effect. A block and rebar core gives hope the memorial will last several centuries. The memorial is part of the city-funded $4 million project to create Cottonwood Creek Park. Because the park was built on a former dump site, getting rid of such contamination as asbestos was a major concern.

With the American, California and MIA/POW flags waving in the background, the memorial was dedicated on the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 2003. The park and memorial were selected to be near a busy intersection in downtown Encinitas, Calif., for high visibility.

?EUR??,,????'??Old cars and trucks were found at the site,?EUR??,,????'?? said Clark. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s pretty amazing that we were able to build a park here at a dump site.?EUR??,,????'??

The city settled on an eight-acre neighborhood park with tennis and basketball courts, picnic areas, a children?EUR??,,????'???s play structure, and a restored Cottonwood Creek, buried in underground pipes years ago. The creek will be restored to ground level by the time the park opens this summer.

?EUR??,,????'??Throughout all the years of planning for the park, hundreds of local veterans met regularly to make sure their project was not forgotten and fit in with the proposed park,?EUR??,,????'?? said Cris Hicks, who coordinated the effort with her husband, Bill Hicks, a Vietnam veteran. Members of the local American Legion post and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars labored for years to procure the Memorial. City Council members past and present worked to obtain funding to provide the construction and provide the land.

?EUR??,,????'??All my friends paid their service to this country,?EUR??,,????'?? said Clark. ?EUR??,,????'??I didn?EUR??,,????'???t get a chance to serve in Vietnam, so this was my way of contributing to the cause.?EUR??,,????'??

The dedication plaque reads: ?EUR??,,????'??City of Encinitas, VETERANS MEMORIAL, Dedicated December 7, 2003, Mayor Jerome Stocks, Deputy Mayor Maggie Houlihan, Council Member James Bond, Council Member Dan Dalager, Council Member Christy Guerin, Memorial Design Michael Ames Clark, Project Architect Schmidt Design Group, Inc.?EUR??,,????'??

A closer look at the natural stone wall designed by Michael Clark, a Cardiff, Calif., landscape architect.