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)
Thank you to our Sponsors
Major
Grainger Family Trust
Captain
Chevron Products Co.
The Cynthia A. Giumarra Trust
Kern Valley State Prison
Welcome to the
Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial Site
Event Calendar
UPCOMING EVENTS...
(Click image to enlarge)
(Click images for event links)
We have several events coming up!
Please check back from time to time for updates!
Sponsoring any WWII Veteran
to be engraved on the memorial
Sponsorship is $250
WWII Veteran Criteria
MUST have served in 1 of the 6 major military branches between 1941-1945
& have a Kern County affiliation.
TWO (2) ways to sponsor...
1. Mail a check to:
Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial
6077 Coffee Road #4-192
Bakersfield, CA 93308
**When sponsoring 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 names to be on the memorial PRIOR to the dedication ceremony was 8/30/2022.
Any Veteran sponsorships after 8/30/2022 can STILL be sponsored & engraved on the memorial. We will be adding alphabetical batches beginning in early 2023.
Questions?? Please call Ed Gaede Jr. at (661) 343-7658 for more information.
other sponsorship information & levels are available
Sponsorship LevelS
Secure donations can be made through PayPal or GoFundMe using the following links...
*Please click "add a note" to designate your sponsored Veteran's name (First, Middle In., Last)."
Please make checks payable & mail to: Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial
6077 Coffee Road #4-192
Bakersfield, CA 93308
*IF sponsoring a Kern County WWII Veteran, please specify their name (First, Middle Int., Last).
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 Plans
(click here for a video Rendition of the Memorial)
The memorial location site has been approved by the Bakersfield City Council. The memorial will be located at Jastro Park in Bakersfield, California.
The Memorial Dedication Date of 11/11/2022 has been POSTPONED.
The tentative dedication date will now be in the WINTER 2022.
Please check back here for an update on the Dedication Day.
“The Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial will have…
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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 684 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 sponsored 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 names of the organizations that supported the war effort.
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Memorial Centerpiece
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The centerpiece will have a 5 foot base with the county and 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 will have six (6) solid granite benches.”
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An etched educational timeline, depicting events of WWII.
Future Site for the Kern County WWII Veteran Memorial
OUR MOTTO:
HONORING KERN COUNTY'S GREATEST GENERATION
MISSION STATEMENT
To create a permanent tribute honoring all Kern County WWII Veterans and those who supported them.
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.
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
Mayde Hurley-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
Special Advisory Members
Shannon Grove
Mike Hart
Justina Howell
Lili Marsh
Judy McCarthy
Jim Scott
David Williams
Point of Contact
Contact: Ed Gaede Cell Phone: (661) 343-7658
Email: KernCountyWWIIMemorial@gmail.com
Mailing Address: Kern County WWII Veterans Memorial, 6077 Coffee Road #4-192, Bakersfield, CA 93308
