East Bay veterans, volunteers plan memorial park in formerly blighted area

Volunteers will sell bricks to honor veterans and help defray costs of the monuments

Antioch Veterans Memorial Park once seemed almost a pipe dream, but with the recent backing of the City Council, three city parcels to develop and a tentative design, work on raising money for the park is now underway.

Veterans and other volunteers presented their ideas to the City Council last week and the resounding response was a positive one, with city staff directed to consider the plans, return back with their findings and a formal agreement.

Delta Veterans Group founder J.R. Wilson told the council he and other volunteers want to bring the community together to work on the park project, which is planned for three city-owned parcels along L Street between Fourth and Seventh streets in north Antioch.

“We get to bring in the community and veterans together in a way that is educational, inclusive, equitable and brings honor to veterans of all eras,” the disabled U.S. Army veteran said. “….Our veterans community truly is a diverse community where we only care that you served our country.”

Wilson said when he was growing up his only connection to veterans was a white G.I. Joe, and so this project honoring a diverse group of veterans can change that misconception.

“By working together with the veterans community, we can educate our school kids not only on the traditional stories of our military, but also the hidden stories like The Port Chicago 50, the U.S. Japanese unit for 42nd Regimental Combat Team – the most highly decorated unit in World War II – the Japanese and American citizens, or the Buffalo Soldiers,” he said. “It gives us that opportunity to start anew and to teach.”

Wilson wants to see the blighted empty lots on L streets transformed into a park with memorials for major wars and conflicts such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War. A path would meander through the park and benches and shrubbery would help make it a serene spot for visitors to stop and reflect and learn about the different military eras, he said.

“We like to call that the pathway of heroes or the path of heroes,” Wilson said, adding that the city has a rich history of veterans dating back as far as the Spanish American War.

The park will beautify the area and could also be used for special occasions such as Flag Day or Memorial Day, he added.

U.S. Navy veteran Pat Jeremy, meanwhile, focused on the educational aspects of a park dedicated to veterans.

“What we’re looking at here is not only to honor our veterans, but to make it educational at the same time,” he said. “… We would have docents also available when schools are brought down that can explain some of these areas, explain some of the conflicts that were there and also to be able to tell the real stories.

“We want to be able to give them (youths) something so they can identify with the veterans that gave them the freedoms they have today,” Jeremy added.

He also said that they want the community to be involved in the final design for the monuments, the complexity of which will depend on how much money is raised.

To help support the project, Jeremy said they will seek grants and corporate donations and also plan to sell bricks that will honor veterans – living or deceased – who are somehow connected to Antioch residents.

“They do not have to be from Antioch but we would like to keep at least the person that’s buying the brick be from Antioch,” he said.

Former Antioch mayor and project volunteer Don Freitas called the project “an incredible, unique opportunity” at some plots of land that became surplus property after city expanded Sixth Street and have sat unoccupied for more than 15 years since. The site is also located along an area of L Street, which the city has included in its capital improvement budget for some new sidewalks and curbs, bike lanes, landscaping and more, he noted.

Freitas said the city could work with the school district to use the park for educational purposes and future generations could continue to learn about history, to talk about patriotism, the Constitution and freedoms.

“It also provides, in some respects, a recreational opportunity,” he said, explaining it could be a place for generations to visit and learn or simply sit down and talk with each other in a nice landscape.

Though the veterans and volunteers originally had more expansive plans, they are focused now on developing the park and purchasing the monuments, Freitas said. He then asked the city for its support to work with city staff to move the project forward.

“We will involve the residents throughout Antioch in a very positive, inclusive, unifying effort to recognize our heroes through the work of dedicated volunteers,” he said. “We don’t see this as a one project and we stop, we see this as a continuing project for ourselves now and in the future.”

Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock said that she supported the project.

“I’m totally in agreement. I think that we need to do these things to get this project moving forward. …I would like to see us add more money to this so that we have a little bit more buy-in.”

Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker said telling the stories of the soldiers is important.

“Thank you for mentioning all the people who fought for us and love us whether it’s on foreign soil or here on American soil, and how they can be honored as well,” she said.

Councilwoman Monica Wilson said she recalled talking with veterans, including J.R. WIlson, about such a park back in 2012.

“I definitely support this and I’m glad that you’ve really been the pushing force, not only on council but throughout the city, to recognize our veterans and what sacrifices they’ve made for our community,” she told J.R. Wilson.

“I’m definitely behind this and I can support this, so thank you for making this finally come to fruition and I can’t wait to be up and running,” she said.