A young man’s vision, a community asset
On the eve of Veteran’s Day, current and former members of the armed forces and community members from across the Imperial Valley came together for the dedication ceremony of the Imperial County Veterans’ Memorial located at the county airport.
The project came to be thanks to an idea that sparked in the mind of Joaquin Antonio Villegas, who became inspired after he spoke to a veteran who passionately spoke about his experience and struggles that came while serving the nation.
The conversation made Villegas think of what he could do to honor the veterans in the Valley, which led to the project that now sits at the entrance of the county airport.
Although most of the structure was completed in the early part of the summer, additional touches have been made to the memorial, and Friday’s ceremony was the first community event in which the community came together to express gratitude to members of the armed forces and to have a close look at the memorial itself.
“Honestly, today feels surreal. It feels great to see the memorial completed; it feels even better to see everyone here together to share it,” Villegas said.
The concept of the Veterans Memorial began as a modest community service scout project for Villegas who wanted to have a monument dedicated to the Veterans from throughout the Valley and of all six branches of the armed forces.
“It feels great to see the memorial completed; it feels even better to see everyone here together to share it.” Joaquin Antonio Villegas
President of the American Legion Auxiliary Bradley Keffer Unit 138, Kim Vincent spoke during the ceremony about being first approached by Joaquin’s father two years ago and immediately recognized it was a great opportunity for the auxiliary to get on board and assist the unique vision and project of Joaquin.
“Joaquin Antonio Villegas chose this as a way for our community members to express gratitude to the military for defending our freedoms, today we honor and thank Joaquin for his dedication to our veterans,” she said. “Your promise to create this Veterans Memorial and to honor all veterans of all wars and all branches of service will always be here in our community.”
The video Villegas made two years ago to fundraise money to pay for the memorial was played for the large crowd in attendance.
Imperial Councilman Darrell Pechtl spoke highly of Villegas and his family and said his efforts were humbling and inspiring for a young man who took on a big project which even a city would have difficulties completing.
The Imperial County Veterans Memorial has the shape of an outstretched eagle with a mural running through the top of the wingspan. The mural has six plaques honoring the six branches of the armed forces and has the legend “Freedom is not free” engraved in the middle. The memorial also features the flags of the U.S., the state of California, and Imperial County.
Following the dedication ceremony, members of the public including a handful of veterans approached Villegas to express their gratitude for making this project a reality for the community.
“This is an incredible event,” Villegas said. “It wasn’t just built by me; it was built by the entire community. I offered an idea, not only was it was received well, but the overwhelming support allowed it to grow into what it is today.”
Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia was among the handful of dignitaries who praised the efforts undertaken by everyone involved and gave Villegas a certificate of recognition from the California Legislature for his civic engagement. Garcia also recognized Vincent who he named the 56th Assembly District 2017 Veteran of the Year for her involvement in the community and support she provides other veterans of the Valley.