Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial Committee meetings that are open to the public
occur the 2nd Tuesday of the month @6pm, 1925 Eye St., Bakersfield, CA 93301 (Portrait of a Warrior Gallery)
Welcome to the
Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial Site
(Click image to enlarge)
Thank you to our Sponsors
Colonel
($25,000-49,999)
A-C Electric
Klassen Corporation
S. C. Anderson
Cruizin 4 Charity
Thank you to our Sponsors
General
($50,000+)
Steve Ogden Concrete
w/ assistance from
Terry Bedford Concrete, Monroe Construction
& 3G Rebar
Thank you to our Sponsors
Major
($15,000-24,999)
Grainger Family Trust
Granite Construction
TC Welding & Fabrication
Thank you to our Sponsors
Captain
($10,000-14,999)
Bakersfield East Rotary
Chevron Products Co.
The Cynthia A. Giumarra Trust
The Garlic Company
HPS Mechanical
Huddleston crane
Kern County Builders Exchange
Kern Valley State Prison
stockdale Moose #2178
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Donating in honor of a WWII Veteran
to be engraved on the memorial
donation is $250
WWII Veteran Criteria
MUST have served in 1 of the 6 major military branches between 1941-1945
& have a Kern County family affiliation.
TWO (2) ways to donate...
*Please add a note to designate your sponsored Veteran's name (First, Middle In., Last)."
1. Mail a check to:
Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial
6077 Coffee Road #4-192
Bakersfield, CA 93308
**When donating in honor of ANY WWII Veteran, when completing the payment process online or by check, please specify their name (First, Middle Int., Last) in the NOTES section.**
The DEADLINE for the next batch of names to be engraved on the memorial is 3/1/2023.
Honored names will be unveiled on Saturday, 5/20/2023 @ 10:00am.
Questions?? Please call Ed Gaede Jr. at (661) 343-7658 for more information.
You can donate without having to honor a veteran. Donations of any amount are also greatly appreciated and accepted.
Thank you...
Our board and committee members thank you for supporting this important memorial. Your generous donation will help us build a lasting tribute to our local WWII Veterans and the organizations that supported them.
EIN # 86-3157816
In The News
To request an interview or a presentation, please contact Board President, Ed Gaede Cell Phone: (661)343-7658.
Memorial Design
(click here for a video Rendition of the Memorial)
The memorial is located at Jastro Park in Bakersfield, California.
“The Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial has…
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Six (6) large black granite pieces placed in a semicircle.
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Each granite piece will represent the six (6) branches of the American Armed Forces during WWII.
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Engraved on the FRONT of each black granite piece will be the names of the 689 Kern County WWII Veterans who lost their lives in action during the war.
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Engraved on the opposite side of these black granite pieces will be the names of honored Kern County WWII Veterans who served and returned home.
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Four (4) smaller black granite pieces at the forefront of the memorial, which will display the efforts of Kern County to support the Homefront.
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Memorial Centerpiece
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The centerpiece has 5 foot base with the Kern County and Bakersfield City seals placed on it along with six (6) gold stars representing each of the branches of Armed Forces as well as the memorial name.
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On top of the base will be a 6' full sized sculpture by Benjamin Victor of a mother holding her child after having read a telegram that says, “The War Department regrets to inform you…”
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The perimeter of the memorial has six (6) solid granite benches.”
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The front of the memorial has an etched educational timeline, depicting events of WWII.
Site the Kern County WWII Veteran Memorial
OUR MOTTO:
HONORING KERN COUNTY'S GREATEST GENERATION
VISION STATEMENT:
To serve our community with a beautiful memorial honoring Kern County WWII Veterans that will be a place of reverence, remembrance, and education for all who visit.
MISSION STATEMENT
To create a permanent tribute honoring all Kern County WWII Veterans and those who supported them.
Committee Information
ABOUT OUR COMMITTEE:
We are at the forefront of commemorating Kern County World War II Veterans. The Kern County World War II Veterans Memorial Committee is a group of local volunteers driven by a single goal; to Honor and Memorialize our country's Greatest Generation. The Kern County World War II Veterans Committee is leading the way to ensure their legacy and the values they represent are passed on to future generations.
Board of Directors
Ed Gaede-President
Wendy Ward-Vice President
Amy Watkins- Secretary
Karen Lopeteguy-Treasurer
Walter Grainger-WWII Veteran
Paul Burzych-Member at Large
Kathleen Grainger-Schaffer-Member at Large
Dan Schaffer-Member at Large
Jacquie Sullivan-Member at Large
Visionary
Marc Sandall
