Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial honors those who served

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Standing tall on a mountain overlooking San Diego, a cross and an American flag tower above a 360-degree monument.

Mount Soledad, located in La Jolla, Calif., serves as a veterans’ memorial with more than 1,800 plaques containing the names, photos and stories of American military veterans — living and deceased — of American wars and conflicts.

From the monument’s first days as Mount Soledad in the early 1900s to current military operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom, veterans from across the country are recognized on the black plaques that surround the flag and cross.

The peaceful memorial has a view of the downtown San Diego skyline, La Jolla coves and the flight line of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The monument was constructed to honor the service members who served America during times of conflict as well as to educate the public about the sacrifices veterans have made to preserve freedom, according to the mission statement of the monument.

Originally founded as a memorial park in 1914, Mount Soledad played a role as an early warning defense system during World War II for the San Diego Area because of its visibility of the coastal area.

In 1954, the Mount Soledad Assosication raised the cross to recognize all of the returning veterans of the nation’s war, and the monument became known as the Korean War Memorial.

After a long battle of church versus state over the cross resting on city property, the federal government established it as a National Veterans Memorial in 2006.

Two of Miramar’s own, Lt. Col. John C. Spahr and Capt. Kelly C. Hinz, F/A-18 Hornet pilots, who lost their lives during OIF and have their names embedded into the stone slabs.

The monument plays a role as a veteran’s memorial and houses ceremonies throughout the year, including Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and other special events.

Mount Soledad is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit their Web site www.soledadmemorial.com.