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Published on 07/06/1998 All articles from this issue

'Proudly we hail'

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue

Town Crier Staff Writer

July 4 Los Altos Veterans Memorial dedication draws large crowd at Shoup Park

At the same moment the crowd learned that the fighter-plane fly-over had been canceled, a flock of doves began circling overhead.

Though unnoticed by most, that image of peace in place of planes captured the essence of the 10 a.m. July 4 Veterans Memorial dedication at Shoup Park in Los Altos.

Approximately 1,000 people came, by Los Altos Police Department estimates. The park was packed, with children in trees, wading in Adobe Creek and swaying on teeter-totters; with adults standing on playground towers, reclining on blankets and sitting on every patch of lawn.

There was plenty of bustle - but it was a quiet bustle. A sense of peacefulness settled on folks.

Members of the Union Presbyterian Church in Los Altos provided a free shuttle service to the dedication from their pancake breakfast, which opened at 8 a.m., and also eased the traffic crunch by offering parking at the church.

The U.S. Air Force Band played from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Strains of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" greeted the people as they arrived, pushing strollers, walkers and bicycles.

Red, white and blue were the colors of the day, from the navy-blue Yahoo! T-shirt on a jogger to the red bands on white straw bowler hats perched atop the heads of many.

One group was particularly excited as they waited for events to start: the family and friends of R.J. Truman, the Los Altos artist who created the memorial statue.

"We'll stand in the corner, but we'll cheer loudly," said R.J's proud father, Lee Truman, a retired Methodist minister from Southern California.

In a large clearing on the manicured green lawn, dignitaries sat on a podium shaded by white canvas market umbrellas.

Paul Nyberg, publisher of the Los Altos Town Crier and master of ceremonies, began the program at 10:30 a.m. He introduced the others up front including Kris Casto, Los Altos mayor; Bill Johnson, Los Altos Hills mayor; Marge Gratiot, superintendent of the Los Altos School District; Capt. John P. Hazelrig, commanding officer of the Navy forces stationed at Moffett Field; Col. Steven C. Speer, commanding officer of the 129th Air Rescue Wing, located at Moffett Field; Maj. F. H. "Sandy" Sandford, commanding officer of the Marine Corps at the Monterey Presidio; Jay Brandon and Bill Henderson, co-chairmen of the Veterans Memorial Association of Los Altos & Los Altos Hills; and artist, R. J. Truman.

Adding to the dedication ceremony were Chaplain George Wright, offering an invocation; a precision drill exhibition by the U.S. Marine Corps Drill Team; and a parade of colors by the U.S. Navy Color Guard. William Perry, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and the keynote speaker, invited the veterans present to stand. People all over the park rose to resounding applause. Then he asked for a moment of silence to honor those veterans who had lost their lives.

"We owe our freedom today to those veterans," he said.

Perry, who had arrived from a trip to China at 5:30 that morning, talked of the $2 billion in defense funds spent during his years as secretary, which were spent on "a rich menu of defense programs to assist countries in transition," from warheads to peace, he said.

He told of trips to the Ukraine, of working with leaders to dismantle nuclear weapons. On his last visit in 1996, "we planted sunflowers on soil that used to contain nuclear weapons."

Peace won't just happen, he said. "It goes hand in hand with democracy, in a secure and peaceful world for our children and grandchildren."

Perry invoked the words of German theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, who wrote, "Man's capacity for good makes democracy possible; his capacity for evil makes democracy indispensable."

"Because Americans believe that, we support young and fragile democracies all over the world and we work to promote democracy in those countries still ruled by authoritarian regimes," Perry said.

Noting China as the most obvious example of a major power not under a democracy, Perry talked of efforts under the Clinton administration to create "an environment where democracy can take root in China."

Perry, who advised and prompted Clinton's recent trip to China, said continued talks are critical, considering China's might - more than 1 billion people, a nuclear weapons arsenal and booming economy.

The Los Altos area resident, who now works at Stanford University for the Center for International Security and Arms Control, inspired the onlookers with his 12-minute speech. One man even said it was the best speech he had ever heard.

Before the statue was unveiled, Brandon gave a little history of how the project for a Veterans Memorial got started. He said that he and Henderson had noted there was no memorial "to our local veterans."

During their two years of planning and working, they and their committee raised more than $120,000 from private donations, worked with the city of Los Altos to find a spot for the statue, and conducted a nationwide search for an artist, reviewing applications from more than 40.

It was purely serendipitous that local artist R. J. Truman was chosen because it was a "blind" review process during which Brandon, Henderson and their committee did not know where the artists lived until they had narrowed the field to a few finalists.

Brandon and Henderson, whom Nyberg called the "dynamic duo," wanted a memorial that did not glorify war, but one that would "honor those who served," Brandon said. They particularly wanted to emphasize themes of patriotism and public service, he said.

Truman created an 8-foot bronze statue, of a soldier kneeling, holding a baby wrapped in a Revolutionary War flag.

The soldier has no name, "because he represents all soldiers," Truman said.

She chose the Revolutionary War flag because "it was our first flag, the flag that represents not only the highest ideals that our country was built on, but also the hopes and dreams that the men and women of the United States have fought for," she said.

Truman named the child Liberty, because "she is reaching for the soldier, knowing that she needs his protection to survive.

"The statue has been named the 'Cradle of Liberty' because Liberty rests within the arms of our men and women who have so valiantly given their lives to preserve our freedom and our nation."

Henderson told the crowd that there were some things that were part of the monument that weren't visible.

"In the concrete base, there are four Susan B. Anthony silver dollars and a dollar bill with many of our signatures on it," he said.

Also in the concrete base were "some rocks from famous battles fought by our soldiers at Valley Forge, Gettysberg, Pearl Harbor, the Battan Corridor, Guadalcanal," Henderson said.

As the U.S. Air Force Band played "America the Beautiful" the tarp was pulled off the statue. The crowds flocked to see it up close. People parted to let Truman, Brandon and Henderson through to stand in front of it, beaming at the crowd.

After the unveiling ceremony, members of American Legion Post 558 provided a barbecue after the dedication, serving approximately 725 people. Legion members and friends cooked and served the food, with donations from local businesses.

"With the donations, we were able to break even," said Legion member Bill Goss.

People swarmed the statue, with cameras, holding babies, gently touching the pant leg, the boot. Some just stood and looked at the soldier holding the baby.

"It brings tears to my eyes," said Los Altos resident Rena Mandey. "I'm touched by it. It's really beautiful. My dad was a World War I veteran. My brother was a Korean War Vet. You don't want to leave it," she said as she lingered in front.

Clark Leakins, who came from San Jose for the dedication, was particularly struck by the detail, "of the netting on the soldier's helmet. It's noble," he said, "the soldier protecting the next generation. That's what it is all about."

Los Altos residents John and Frances Abrams were out for a Fourth of July bike ride and just happened along into the park, after the unveiling.

"I like the setting," John said. "It's tranquil, shady with the water in the background. And no guns on the statue."

That's just what Brandon and Henderson had said many times that they wanted in a memorial, something that inspires sacrifice and service without the trappings of war.

The camaraderie, the sharing, were celebrated by Los Altos Mayor Casto.

"It's a great day," she said. "The community came together to honor the veterans who made it possible for us to be here today."