Four San Diego Veterans’ Groups Unveil Memorial Walkway’s First Monuments
Aug. 3, 2013 — The first U.S. soldier to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in Vietnam asked those gathered, Aug. 3, 2013, for the dedication of Miramar National Cemetery’s new Memorial Walkway to “remember those who served their country with their strength, with their courage, and with their lives.”
The centerpiece of the dedication ceremony, held under bright blue skies, was the unveiling of monuments by members of four San Diego veterans’ groups – the Jewish War Veterans, Special Forces Association, Navy Nurse Corps Association, and the Chosin Few, survivors of the brutal Korean War battle.
“As we dedicate these monuments,” said retired Army Col. Roger Donlon, “we remember all of those who made the supreme sacrifice giving their lives on the battlefield. We remember those who fought in all the wars. We also remember the men and women who are trained and ready during times of peace, when their existence alone was a deterrent to any potential enemy.”
The Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation sponsored the event, which was attended by some 120 veterans and their families, and members of the public.
Donlon, a captain during his Vietnam deployment, was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on July 6, 1964, when some 900 Vietcong attacked a Special Forces Group camp near the Laotian border.
During the violent five-hour battle, Donlon was injured repeatedly in a hail of mortar fire and flying shrapnel from hand grenades. Despite grievous wounds, he managed to move about the camp organizing his 12-man team of Green Berets and 370 South Vietnamese and tribal Nung fighters, while directing firepower to prevent the enemy from overrunning the beleaguered defenders.
Jewish War Veterans San Diego Post 185 dedicated its monument to the “honor of the men and women of the Jewish faith who gave their lives and services to their country….” The Jewish War Veterans, established in 1896, is the nation’s oldest veterans’ group.
The monument dedicated by San Diego Chapter 75 of the Special Forces Association honors the Special Forces Regiment. A quote by President John F. Kennedy describes the Regiment’s Green Beret as “a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction…in the fight for freedom.”
The Southern California Chapter of the Navy Nurse Corp Association sponsored a monument in memory of nurses who provided care aboard hospital ships and shore stations for those wounded in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam, as well active duty nurses currently serving on ships and at stations around the world.
The monument dedicated by the San Diego Chapter of the Chosin Few commemorates the honor, courage and commitment of those members of the 1st Marine Division, U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, and 41 Commando, Royal Marines, who fought against Chinese forces at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in November and December 1950.
Participants in the ceremony included Foundation CFO Rich Sells, who was master of ceremonies; Rev. John K. Sorensen, San Diego Sheriff’s Dept. senior chaplain; Tom Mullen, interim director of the Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries; and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert L. Cardenas.
Pipe Corp. Ian Kelly opened and closed the ceremony with bagpipe solos. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Color Guard of San Diego presented the nation’s colors. Members of the San Diego Boy Scouts and Young Marines assisted with ceremony arrangements and guest seating.
By Bill Heard
Foundation PIO