The Cupertino Courier
News
Fundraiser for Cupertino veterans memorial
By HUGH BIGGAR
The first fundraiser for a proposed veterans memorial in Cupertino's Memorial Park is set to take place Aug. 28.
A local nonprofit group, Cupertino Veterans Memorial, plans a golf tournament in Palo Alto to help make the veterans memorial a reality.
The group hopes to raise $350,000 to build the memorial by 2007.
"We're working with service clubs and corporations to raise the money," Dennis Whittaker, a Cupertino resident and Vietnam War veteran, said.
The city of Cupertino has already authorized the project and donated space for it in Memorial Park. At the moment, the memorial would include a sculpture behind a Memorial Park flagpole and a nearby wall of honor. There is already a small plaque at the base of the flagpole. Donated by the Kiwanis Club in 1980, the plaque also honors veterans.
Backers of the memorial have hired Florida sculptor Sandy Proctor to create life-size bronze statues of two soldiers. One of the soldiers will be Matthew Axelson, a Cupertino resident killed in action with the Special Forces in Afghanistan in June 2005. The soldiers are to wear Special Forces uniforms as a way of representing all branches of service.
Axelson's death served as a catalyst for a memorial for all Cupertino residents who died while in military service. There is a private monument at Cupertino High School listing the names of 10 school alumni killed in the Vietnam War.
The memorial at Memorial Park would add to that by listing the names of those who died in service.
"We have about 40 names so far," said resident Sandy James. "We want people to talk to their friends and neighbors about the project so we can get the whole community involved."
The process of gathering names is made more difficult since a warehouse fire in the 1970s destroyed service records of those in the military before Vietnam.
Whittaker also said promoters of the Cupertino Veterans Memorial would like to work with schools and youth groups to help record the stories of living Cupertino veterans.
"We want to honor those who served and deserve to be recognized," James said.
The golf tournament, which was organized by the Axelson family, is an initial step toward making that happen. Tournament registration begins at 10 a.m. at the Palo Alto Hill Golf and Country Club, 3900 Alexis Drive, Palo Alto. The entry fee is $250 and includes greens fees and a dinner. For more information call, 408.281.9436.
Contributions can also be made to the memorial project at: Cupertino Veterans Memorial, 21885 Meadowview Lane, Cupertino, CA, 95014.
