City of Aliso Viejo
Public invited to help complete Veteran's Memorial at Saddleback College


Community members are invited to help complete a Veteran's Memorial at Saddleback College by sponsoring an inscribed memorial feature. The community contributions are part of an effort by the Saddleback College Foundation to raise $100,000 to finish the College's Veterans Memorial.

The memorial will pay homage to our armed forces and will feature a life-size figure, surrounded by fountains and lights to illuminate the sculpture at night. The memorial, which was designed by artists Richard White and Fred Olsen, will be dedicated this fall.

The site will be a place of reflection and remembrance and used by professors for class discussions. For students and visitors, the memorial will serve as a constant reminder of the service and sacrifices made by so many in the name of freedom.

When finished, the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial will display the first American flag flown over the United States Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City. It was a gift from Chapter 785 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, which obtained the flag from Pete Peterson, the first U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and a former Prisoner of War.

The public is invited to demonstrate its support while leaving a permanent message at the memorial site by sponsoring an inscribed paver, brick or bench.

For more information, contact Michelle Anstadt at 949-582-4479 or manstadt1@saddleback.edu. Information about the memorial is available at http://www.saddleback.edu/foundation/VetMemorial.html.