By Mike Gervais
Register Staff

10-25-2007

With Inyo County currently mourning the loss of Wayne Geiger, its first military serviceman to be killed in action in Iraq, it’s safe to say many minds are occupied with thoughts of bravery and sacrifice, service and honor.

It is even more appropriate than ever, then, that a group of local citizens intent on helping the community forever remember those who put their lives on the line in the name of freedom is finally on its way to a tangible memorial.
After years of discussing ideas, gathering funds and input and planning to erect a veterans memorial at the Roosevelt Tree in Big Pine, the plans are coming together.
The Big Pine Civic Club has constructed a model of what the veterans memorial will look like, gathered funds and began stockpiling materials for the long-awaited and much-anticipated memorial that will add one more feature to the Roosevelt Tree area, which already has a kiosk with information about the area and is home to the giant Big Pine flags.

Margie Steele (l) and Barbara Marzano of the Big Pine Civic Club hold a model of what will become a veterans memorial in Big Pine. Most of the memorial details have been worked out, however there are still materials, funds and volunteers that must be obtained before construction can begin. Photo by Mike Gervais

There are still some loose ends to tie up, and some details that need to be ironed out regarding the memorial, but “hopefully by early spring, we’ll break ground,” said Memorial Wall Committee Member Barbara Marzano. “In the meantime we’re going to stockpile supplies” and be sure to have everything ready for construction.
The 18- to 20-foot long shale rock memorial wall will be positioned between the American flag and the POW/MIA flag at the site and will feature the crest of all five branches of the military, Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines Corps. There will also be the POW/MIA emblem alongside the service crests.
In the center of the memorial, flanked by three of the crests, will be the Soldier’s Prayer from the American Legion Handbook.
“The most costly part will be the seals,” Marzano said, noting that the materials will have to be purchased and the bronze plaques will have to be engraved, then mounted on the wall.
The Big Pine Civic Club, last year, formed a five-person committee to begin seriously looking at the space available and come up with a couple ideas for the veterans memorial. The final project will be a wall with the six crests posted on the side of a four-foot tall wall. The top side of the wall will have viewing pipes at either end and a diagram naming the peaks visible from the valley floor. Visitors will be able to single out the peaks using the viewing pipes.
The view-finder idea came from a similar vista stop on the way to the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
The Civic Club is working with Edwards Air Force Base to acquire some materials and help with the project. “I’d like to have some kind of replica of a jet” near the memorial, said Steele.
If Edwards Air Force Base can provide the replica, it will be raised on a post on the north side of the flags, and will serve as an eye-catcher off of U.S. 395.
“We’re doing our best to stay in contact” with Edwards AFB, however, with soldiers being deployed to Iraq and transferred to other bases, communications have been hit and miss, said Steele. Regardless, the air force base has showed interest in wanting to help with the memorial.
Another entity that has pledged aid to the forthcoming veterans memorial is the California Department of Forestry. Battalion Chief Rodger Thompson is working with the Civic Club to schedule up to 16 CDF inmates to aid with the construction of the project.
“We’re in the middle of paperwork right now” with the CDF, Marzano said, noting that when all the details are worked out, the Civic Club hopes to have the CDF workers gather the shale rock for the wall and help with the contractor build the memorial.
“The Forest Service charges $33 for one ton of shale rock, so hopefully we can get those guys (from CDF) to load it up” and haul it to the site, Steele said.
Local contractor Jim Westervelt has pledged to donate his time and expertise to the project, and with the addition of the CDF inmate crew, the construction team is ready to build.
Also, over the years, the Big Pine Civic Club has managed to raise $4,000 towards the memorial fund.
What the club needs now are supplies. “We still need sand and rock and other building materials,” Steele said, noting that any donations from the community, of materials or funds for materials, will be much appreciated.
Once the memorial project is complete there will be a designated parking area at the site and handicapped access and the entire flag area near the Roosevelt Tree will be fenced in.
Anyone who would like to donate time, money or materials to the memorial project may call Marzano at (760) 920-8670 or Steele at (760) 938-2295.
Donations may also be sent to the Big Pine Civic Club, P.O. Box 595, Big Pine, CA 93513.