President William J. Kellogg of the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association, joined by U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), met at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Thursday, Nov. 2, to announce a series of upcoming meetings with representatives of the U.S. Navy concerning operation and management of the monument.
Bilbray, who was one of three congressmen to author legislation transferring control of the memorial to the federal government, assured those in attendance that the 29-foot-tall cross and the granite walls with plaques honoring veterans had been placed in good hands.
“The cross is in possession of the U.S. government to be administered by the U.S. Navy,” he said. “With the passage of our legislation, where it was once thought to be a miracle to save it [the monument], it now would be a miracle to try to destroy it.”
Capt. Michael Giorgione of the Commander Navy District Southwest of San Diego could not attend the public meeting, but was expected to join Kellogg and other trustees later in the day to begin preliminary plans for a memorandum of understanding between the association and federal officials.
The Mt. Soledad Memorial Association is a nonprofit organization based in La Jolla that has overseen and operated the monument for more than 50 years. Although the group’s new role under federal ownership has not been set forth, it should be able to continue with maintenance projects and other association-hosted events, according to Kellogg.
“The association will work with them [U.S. Navy] to keep delegation under the association, but specific details of the memorandum are not known right now,” the association president said.
An annual Veterans Day ceremony is held at the monument, and the association assumes that tradition will stay in place for years to come.
“From what I understand, it’s going to be business conducted as normal until we hear differently,” Jack Porath, an association trustee, said by phone from association headquarters. “The ceremonies will continue as far as we know.”
With former California Governor, San Diego Mayor and U.S. Senator Pete Wilson as the keynote speaker, this year’s Veterans Day event boasts the theme “If You Love Freedom, Thank A Veteran.”
Wilson will also be honored for the contributions he made to the veteran community during his time in office, and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will make presentations.
Music by the Navy Band Southwest and the Boulder City Hometown Fiddlers of Nevada, and a presentation by the FRC Southwest Color Guard, will complete the celebration.
The association predicts a crowd of close to 1,000.
“Veterans in the community will be here in full force,” Kellogg said about the event. “The future of the memorial looks brighter than it has in many years.”
The Mt. Soledad Veterans Day celebration will be held from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Mt. Soledad Memorial, 6905 La Jolla Scenic Drive. Parking will be available at the French-American School, 6550 Soledad Mountain Rd., with free shuttles to the monument. For information about the association or the memorial, visit www.soledadmemorial.com or call (858) 459-2314.