The History of the Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial

In January of 2001, a local community activist, Sue Fenwick, was talking to a friend, Patrick Flynn Sr., a Vietnam-era veteran. Mr. Flynn lamented that a city of the size and influence of Yorba Linda had such a small, almost unknown tribute to its fallen and the other veterans who had served over the decades. Sue made a promise to Mr. Flynn that she would do “something” to correct the situation.

Health and other issues prevented Sue from taking immediate action on her promise. Still, in January 2005, Sue began what can best be described as a “one-woman campaign” to create a more fitting memorial for Yorba Linda.

Soliciting the assistance of the local American Legion and VFW Posts, as well as an organization called “Moms of Military Support and Prayer Group” (the majority of the members had sons and daughters serving in Iraq and Afghanistan at the time), Sue formed a committee known as “The Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial Association” which was co-chaired by the Post Commanders of the American Legion Post, Clay Baxter, and the VFW Post, Irv Gold.

The committee approached the City Council of Yorba Linda with a plan to design and build a new Memorial, and the City granted the committee a section of land in the Valley View Athletic Park located at 4756 Valley View. The City also voted to re-dedicate this park as “Veterans Memorial Park.”

With a new site now obtained, Sue worked almost nonstop on raising support and funds to build the new Memorial. As part of the campaign, the committee held a design contest to determine what the new Memorial would become. The winning entry was submitted by a 16-year-old Esperanza High School Sophomore named Brian Davidson. The centerpiece of his design was a large, five-sided granite base that would display the emblems of the five branches of military service topped by an eagle in flight. The base would be centered on a black concrete star surrounded by benches, flag poles, and walkways.

With a design concept in place and funds being raised, the next step was to find a contractor. During one of the 15+ significant fundraisers Sue conducted, she met Gary and Elaine Brattain. Gary and Elaine’s son, Army Private 1st Class Joel Brattain, was killed in action on March 13, 2004, in Iraq. The Brattain’s operated a construction company locally and had a back ground in military memorials, and they agreed to become the contractors for the new Memorial.

Construction began in earnest in late 2004. Along the way, a “Veterans Brick” walkway was established to allow citizens to purchase a brick to honor a relative, friend, or co-worker with an engraved brick in the main walkway to the Memorial. Brick sales were brisk and helped raise funds to construct the Memorial.

As construction took place, casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan continued to mount. The idea of creating an additional walkway within the Memorial led to creating the Orange County Gold Star walkway as a separate walkway on the south side of the memorial grounds. This walkway was dedicated to any service member from anywhere in Orange County who was killed in action in the global war on terror. A commemorative brick was engraved showing the name, rank, branch of service, and date the hero was killed in action, and included the code name of the conflict, i.e. Operation ??

Construction was delayed by bad weather, thefts of construction equipment, and necessary design changes to meet all local, state, and federal mandates. Finally, on May 9, 2009, the City and the Memorial Association held a dedication ceremony to unveil the new Memorial.

The three bronze plaques honoring Yorba Linda service members killed in action during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam were de-commissioned from their original home in front of the fire station. They were re-dedicated in a new place of honor on a prominent wall within the Memorial. Hundreds of bricks honoring veterans from all service branches, from all eras of service, were on display in what was named “The Veteran’s Walkway of Honor.” In the most solemn part of the dedication, the names of each of the service members from all over Orange County who had been killed in action since 9-11 were read aloud.

In the years since the official dedication, there have been several additions to the Memorial. The demand for bricks to honor veterans exceeded the original walkway capacity, so a new walkway extension was added.

A local teen, Jessica Mabry, painted a large US flag on the back of the baseball scoreboard as a “Silver Award” project for Girl Scouts, creating a beautiful backdrop for the Memorial flag poles. A bronze plaque was added to the main entrance bollard honoring the efforts of Sue Fenwick, without whom the Memorial would not have been built.

On Veterans Day 2016, the Memorial Association added a “battlefield memorial” statue adjacent to the Gold Star walkway as a constant reminder of the sacrifice of the fallen.

Each year, on Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) and Veterans Day (always November 11), the Memorial Association, in partnership with the City of Yorba Linda, holds a commemorative ceremony at the Memorial. The ceremony is always at 2 pm and includes the presentation of colors, a keynote speaker, a wreath ceremony, and the reading of the Gold Star Walk of Honor Roll Call, followed by a rifle salute and the playing of Taps.

Since the dedication in 2009, the Memorial Association has added a brick to the Gold Star Walkway to honor those additional servicemen and women killed in action since the Memorial was dedicated. Sadly, the list of names has grown to 78 heroes, including 8 from Yorba Linda.

At each ceremony, the heroes’ name is read, a bell tolls in their memory, and a Girl Scout Honor Guard member presents a red rose of remembrance to a family member, if present, or on the brick honoring the fallen hero. The ceremony concludes with “Amazing Grace,” played by bagpipers from the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums.

The Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial Association consists of an all-volunteer group of citizens and veterans dedicated to ensuring that the Memorial is maintained in the highest possible condition to honor our veterans, our fallen heroes, and those currently serving their county in the armed forces. The Memorial is open to the public free of charge, 24 hours a day.

We pray that we never need to add another brick to the Gold Star Walk of Honor, but we would love to see more veterans honored with a brick in the walkways established for them. Any veteran from anywhere (there need not be a connection to Yorba Linda, Orange County, or even California!) from any ear can be honored with a brick.