The Utah Freedom Memorial sits on the south end of Sandy City Hall. Sandy, Utah (87,461) is a suburb of Salt Lake City, just 13 miles south of the capital. The city donated the ground, hundreds of volunteer hours and $25,000 for the project. City officials had little experience working with low-voltage (12-volt) lighting, and were concerned that because the power supply was 250 feet distant of the memorial space, the voltage would drop off too much and not provide enough power for the lighting. The solution was LEDs, which draw so little power that voltage drop is minimized. Balanced voltage was delivered to each 12-volt LED light. City officials were pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the lighting.

When the community gathered to dedicate the new Utah Freedom Memorial in Sandy, Utah on May 14, 2014, soldiers offered a 21-gun salute and mothers who had lost sons and daughters to war delivered roses to commemorate their loss.

There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

Keith Rosser, owner of Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah, was there. He brought his 15-year-old daughter, Hannah"?unot just to see how her dad's company provided all the lighting for the memorial, but so she could appreciate the sacrifices servicemen and women made for their country.

The monument centerpiece is a 15-foot-tall granite pentagonal obelisk, each side highlighting a bronze plaque for each of the five branches of the military. While CM 390 brass inground fixtures up light the obelisk, the lamps vary: 4-watt MR16 LEDs with 30° spreads light the upper obelisk; 2-watt MR8s LEDs with 100° spreads illuminate the lower section of the obelisk, highlighting the bronze plaques. The LEDs (Brilliance) are 2700° kelvin lamps, a warm, real-life color range.

The Utah Freedom Memorial sits on the south end of Sandy City Hall, adjacent to the Utah Healing Field 9-11 Flag Display lawn, and directly north of the "Hope Rising" 911 ground zero sculpture of firemen. Tony and Amy Galvez lost a son, Adam, a U.S. Marine, killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2006. Tony, who lives in nearby Bluffdale, Utah, worked for seven years to help make the memorial a reality. The Galvezs wanted to pay tribute to their son and other soldiers killed while serving, and teach young people about the toll of war. Since 2001, more than 110 Utah soldiers have given their lives in the line of duty. The city donated the ground, hundreds of volunteer hours and $25,000 for the project. A fundraising campaign provided additional funding.

"It's not a death monument," Tony Galvez said at the dedication ceremony. "It's for those who have served in the past, those who are currently serving and those who will serve in the future."

The in-ground fixture used to up light the memorial is the brass CM 390 (CopperMoon) well light. With dimensions of 6.25" tall and 4.5" wide, the fixture works well in planting beds. The brass finish weathers in time to a verdigris patina.

The monument centerpiece is a 15-foot-tall granite pentagonal obelisk, each side highlighting one of the five branches of the military. Five bronze plaques surround the monument, describing the value of freedom and explaining the cost of freedom through the eyes of all of those who have served, including the fallen, the wounded, the disabled, prisoners of war and the families who support them.

A separate granite pillar honors fallen soldiers on one side, depicting a helmet, identification tags, bayonet and combat boots. On the other side, a "wall of reflection" features a bronze statue of a woman touching the reflection of the hand of her soldier, honoring "the courageous sacrifice of those who are left behind" during military deployments. The rectangular concrete area featuring the monuments is surrounded by granite seating walls in a park-like setting, featuring trees, flowers, ornamental grasses and small shrubs. The perimeter is bordered with flagpoles bearing flags representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. An additional flag with blue and red stars represents prisoners of war, soldiers missing in action and wounded soldiers.

The memorial was designed to honor men and women of all branches of the military and from all conflicts. Utah youth can learn about Utah's fallen soldiers, make rubbings of the commemorative bronze plaques, and share their thoughts and feelings through an accompanying annual essay contest.

The granite pillar honors fallen soldiers on one side by depicting a helmet, identification tags, bayonet and combat boots; on the other side is a "wall of reflection" featuring a bronze statue of a woman touching the reflection of the hand of her soldier, with the etched words "GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN" on the granite above the soldier's head. For the reflection wall, the CopperMoon CM 390 fixtures were fitted with 5-watt MR16 LEDs with 60° spreads. The fixtures incorporate "eyelids" to prevent glare from distracting from the monuments. The fixtures are recessed into the monument's granite base. The play of light and shadow enhances the drama of the touching scene.

The Lighting Task
Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah's task was to provide lighting for the memorial and its serene surroundings. It was a delicate, demanding task, given the somber theme of the memorial. The lighting had to be effective, but respectful. It shouldn't compete with the statuary, but illuminate it subtly and artistically. The team at Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah used just one fixture model (CopperMoon) with some variations. The key was using different lamps in the same fixtures to produce the necessary lighting effects.

Lighting the Obelisk
CopperMoon CM 390 fixtures light the obelisk, the centerpiece of the memorial. Lamp choice, however, varied. LED MR16, 4-watt, 30°, 2700° kelvin lamps light the upper obelisk. LED MR8, 2-watt 100°, 2700° kelvin lamps illuminate the lower section of the obelisk, highlighting the bronze plaques. The lamps are from Brilliance LED. The 2700° kelvin lamps offer a warm, real-life color, as opposed to a cooler glow.

Illuminating the flagpoles are CopperMoon CM390 fixtures fitted with LED MR16, 7-watt LEDs with 15° spreads. The fixtures are strategically placed at the base of each flagpole, but tucked beneath the overhanging edge of the granite seat wall to be as unobtrusive as possible. Lighting designer Keith Rosser had custom bases for the fixtures crafted from the same granite as the monuments. While there was existing pedestrian pole lighting adjacent to the memorial space, no overhead lighting was allowed within the memorial space; it had to come from below. The challenge was that all the memorial bases were granite surrounded by concrete. All conduit had to run through these hardscapes, which required precise measuring and cutting, with no allowance for the slightest mistake.

The Reflection Wall
For the reflection wall, the CopperMoon CM 390 fixtures were fitted with Brilliance LED MR16 5-watt 60° lamps. The fixtures are recessed into the granite base surrounding the monument. The play of light and shadow enhances the drama of the touching scene. The fixtures incorporate eyelids to prevent glare from distracting from the monuments.

Illuminating the flagpoles are CopperMoon CM390 fixtures fitted with Brilliance LED MR16, 7-watt, 15° spread, 2700° kelvin lamps. The fixtures are strategically placed at the base of each flagpole, but tucked beneath the overhanging edge of the granite seating wall, to be as unobtrusive as possible. Rosser had custom bases for the fixtures crafted from the same granite as the monuments so they blend in. These lights also do a nice job of subtly illuminating the surrounding ornamental grasses and other decorative plantings. The lighting doesn't appear elaborate, and that was by design. But there were plenty of challenges along the way. It was crucial to choose the right lamp wattage and color temperature to achieve the subtle, warm, but effective lighting that suits the mood of the memorial. It was important that the lights enhance the sculptures and monuments, not overpower them. And Rosser didn't want the lighting fixtures to be obvious or distract from the memorial during daylight hours. The fixtures also had to stand up well to heavy foot traffic.

All the lighting had to come from below; no overhead lighting was allowed by the city. There was also competing light from nearby streetlights. City officials had little experience working with 12-volt LEDs, and were understandably concerned that low-voltage lighting wouldn't provide adequate illumination. Officials worried that because the power supply was 250 feet away, the voltage would drop off too much and not provide enough power for effective lighting. The key to overcoming that challenge was the use of LEDs, which draw so little power that voltage drop is minimized. Balanced voltage was delivered to each 12-volt LED. City officials were pleasantly surprised at the high-quality lighting for the memorial.

While many visitors stroll through the memorial during the day, it's certainly most striking and compelling at night to spend a few minutes contemplating those who served, and continue to serve, our country.

Project Design and Management
• Perry Van Schelt - Lead Designer, Monument Arts (A Division of Colonial Flag)
• Paul Swenson - Project Manager, Monument Arts (A Division of Colonial Flag)

Contractors
• Keith Rosser - Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah
• Cory Shupe, Blu Line Designs - Landscape Architectural Services and Site Planning Sandy, Utah
• Coldspring Granite - Granite Supplier
• Stan Watts - Sculptures
• Jeff Lindhardt - Ridge Rock Construction
• Alan Blakely of Alan Blakely Photography