New Calistoga memorial honors veterans

More than 10 years in the making, Calistoga has a monument to its veterans that will be dedicated this Wednesday, Veterans Day.

The backers of the Calistoga Veterans Memorial had to overcome complaints that it glorified war, as well as some opposition to its location in a park where children play.

“It was tagged early on as a war memorial. It’s not. It’s a veterans memorial. It doesn’t in any way, shape or form glorify war,” said Jim Barnes, a U.S. Air Force and Vietnam veteran and member of the American Legion Post instrumental in its creation.

“You can’t find a group of people anywhere more against war than veterans,” said the retired insurance broker.

The memorial at the entry to the city’s Logvy Park off Washington Street includes six granite-clad columns, a wall and a 2,500-square-foot “plaza.”

Wednesday’s dedication at 10:30 a.m. was supposed to include a flyover by a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules, but tragedy intervened.

“Unfortunately the plane and crew went down near San Clemente with all hands lost. It collided with a Marine helicopter,” Barnes said.

Instead of a flyover, there will be a dedication ceremony to the seven Coast Guard crew members lost on the C-130 and two members of the Marine helicopter who were killed when the sea rescue operation went awry last month.

There are 1,800 brick pavers that are part of the monument and so far about 300 inscribed names of veterans, some going as far back as the Revolutionary War.

Most of the names have some type of connection to a Calistoga or Napa Valley resident.

They include Richard O’Kane, a rear Navy admiral who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1946; Jeb Stuart, a Confederate general; and a woman who served in the USO during World War II.

“Any veteran, anytime, anywhere, anyplace can be honored,” he said. “Anyone that’s ever worn the uniform of the United States. We have them from all six branches. They all served in their own way.”

The monument was paid for with about $150,000 in cash donations. Additional donated services and time totaled more than $100,000.

The memorial is across from a parking lot and new pool in the 10-acre park, which also has soccer fields and a softball diamond. It’s intended to be part of the fabric of Calistoga.

Barnes expects children will be playing on the memorial plaza, “which is probably the best thing you could have.”

“What greater thing can a veteran hear than the laughter of children?”