Cupertino, home to more than 3,000 veterans, already has Memorial Park along Stevens Creek Boulevard. The park, though, is home to more landmarks honoring its sister city relationships than veterans. For those who have served in the military, there is only a small plaque in their honor beneath a flagpole.

This could change by 2007.

A small group of residents is spearheading an effort to complete a veterans memorial art project by Veterans Day, Memorial Day or Independence Day of 2007. The project is estimated to cost $250,000-$300,000, an amount that has to be raised privately.

If all goes according to plan, the landmark would be placed on a grassy rise near the Memorial Park flagpole.

According to the current plans, the artwork would include a bronze sculpture to be modeled after Mathew Axelson--a Cupertino resident killed in Afghanistan last July--and one of his Special Forces comrades. The project would also include a semicircular wall engraved with markers for each branch of service and the names of Cupertino veterans killed in action.

"We would like [the sculpture] to be interactive," said former mayor Sandy James, who is helping with the project. "The site is up high and overlooks the park and the city, and could be a place where people can sit and meditate."

The city is going back as far as it can in its search for names of residents who have served in wars past. Some of those names can already be found at a small memorial at Cupertino High School honoring 10 students who died in the Vietnam War. Otherwise, gathering names could prove difficult since the city was incorporated after World War II, and federal records were burned in a warehouse fire in the 1970s.

"From Vietnam forward we have pretty good [records], but before that it is more difficult," said Therese Smith, director of Cupertino's Parks and Recreation department, which is collecting the names. Smith said the department has turned to different sources in its search.

"We have gone to the different branches of the armed services; we're looking through all the old archives of the local newspaper," she said, "and we're hoping the [Cupertino] historical society can help, too."

So far, the parks and recreation department has collected fewer than 40 names but plans to add more before the project's completion.

First the project's backers need to raise the necessary money for the sculpture and wall. The city has said it can accommodate the project at Memorial Park.

"It's long overdue," James said. "We need something to honor those from Cupertino who gave their lives and those who have served."

To contribute to the project or to learn more, email Sandy James at sandyljames@sbcglobal.net.