Lasting Tribute

Hundreds of people paid their respects Wednesday at the dedication of a Santa Rosa memorial to Sonoma County's war dead, watching as families unveiled five granite columns bearing the names of their loved ones who died in war.

"I think it's long overdue," said Gary Doolittle, whose brother Ron Doolittle of Santa Rosa died in Vietnam in 1967. "They deserve this kind of recognition from their community."

The Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Monument is just south of Santa Rosa City Hall, near the corner of Santa Rosa and Sonoma avenues.

"It's beautiful," said Sarah Kynoch, widow of Army Cpl. Joshua Kynoch of Santa Rosa, who died in Iraq in 2005 when a bomb exploded beneath his Bradley fighting vehicle.

"It's a great tribute to my son," said Herb Williams, father of Army Sgt. Jesse Williams of Santa Rosa, who was killed last year by a sniper in Iraq.

Ironically, Jesse Williams spoke before Santa Rosa's City Council in 2006, endorsing the plan for a veterans monument at City Hall.

"He didn't know his name would be on it," Herb Williams said Wednesday.

Jeanette Lynn McFall carried a small American flag and a framed photo of her father, Floyd McFall of Santa Rosa, who served on a submarine in the Pacific during World War II.

"It's encouraging to know there are so many people who are honoring our veterans," McFall said as people crowded around the inscribed columns.

The privately funded memorial wouldn't have happened without the effort of Ross Liscum, an ex-Marine and Santa Rosa real estate broker, said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.

Liscum led a small group that raised money and pushed the project through the city approval process.

"Ross is the motivator behind this,"

Thompson said. "It has been a real labor of love."

The monument will be a reminder of what it takes to secure freedom, said

Thompson, who was wounded in Vietnam.

"We must never forget our veterans," he said. "Whatever we might think about the war, always honor the warriors."

Liscum came up with idea in 2003 when he realized Santa Rosa didn't have a monument to its war dead. There were plenty of obstacles, but the sponsors always moved forward, he said Wednesday.

"We never gave up," he said.

The granite columns bear the names of 448 Sonoma County veterans who lost their lives in eight wars. On Monday, a stoneworker added the name of Ryan Connolly, a Santa Rosa-born Army paratrooper who was killed by a bomb blast in Afghanistan on June 24.

The semicircle of granite columns faces a smaller pedestal topped by a bronze U.S. flag. Plaques set in the surrounding stonework show the branches of the U.S. armed forces.

The memorial was designed by Santa Rosa artist Mario Uribe.

Businesses, labor unions, individuals and the city contributed to the project, which cost about $200,000. The sponsors still are seeking funds for maintenance, and donations can be sent to SR Veterans Monument, c/o Community Foundation Sonoma County, 250 D St., Santa Rosa 95404.

You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com.