Veterans in the Highland Palms Community

As told by Ray Labbe

in October 1996, I retired from work.  I immediately volunteered to become tournament chairman of the Men’s Golf Club.  In that position, I got to know the men from the park very well and every now and then they would tell me a little of their military experiences representing the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Army Air Corps and later the U.S. Air force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and even some of our Allied troops, British and Canadians.  One was a bomber pilot, another drove landing craft, another a tank driver who had two tanks shot out from under him while serving under General Patton, another was a Pearl Harbor survivor and yet another fought in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.  In summer uniforms, they underestimated the strength of the Japanese forces and nearly froze to death because the battle lasted longer than expected.  Yet another was in the service before Pearl Harbor and served throughout the war in the Pacific.  He and his folks joined in with victory gardens, scrap collections, paper drives, tin cans, rubber and, of course, ration stamps and war bonds.   And don’t forget Rosie the Riveter and other ladies who served in various services.  Then came Korea and Viet Nam. Needless to say i couldn’t imagine how many veterans we had living in our small community and felt compelled to say thank you all for your service. But how?

How it All Started

Then came the Millennium New Years Eve bash at the clubhouse.  Joyce Barber, wife of then president Ken Barber, overheard me talking to someone about all the veterans in our midst and we should find a way of saying thank you for their service.  And Joyce said, ‘why don’t you do something about it?’  Shortly thereafter, the project was on with me as chairman.  I started by asking for help from Leo Morin and Dale Neizgocki.  We started collecting names and branches of service and the donations started coming in.  No homeowner’s funds were used – just donations.  Ed combs had reverse raffles and there were dinners, etc.  Then we needed a plan for the monument and again, i asked for ideas.  Warren Cowie had photos of the parade field at the base he had trained in.  That was the monument we chose to emulate.  A model was built and presented to the people at a homeowner’s monthly meeting and it was approved.  Donations continued to pour in – $100 here, $10 there, etc.

Gathering the Veterans’ Names

Lists were posted on the mail room bulletin board and probably also in the golf clubhouse so no one could say they didn’t see them.  Weekly these lists were picked up and checked for accuracy.  Lists were retyped and then posted once more.  This went on for at least a year with many notices to all veterans to please read and reread.  Some of the handwritten signatures could hardly be read so whenever there were questions, Ray, Leo and a few others would call to verify.  They did all they could for absolute accuracy.  As it turned out, as far as anyone knows, only one name was incorrect and that was not the fault of the engraver.  Later, new residents who wanted to be remembered in this way were advised that the engraver said he had to charge for the new additions to the plaques and suggested at least groups of six or more to cut down on the cost to the individual. 

Construction of the Memorial

Construction began in my driveway, one station, then another.  As more names came in, i built another.  Next we asked for suggestions for the plaque of purpose.  Several suggestions were turned in, and one in particular stood out above all of the others and was chosen.  

Dedications on the Plaque

Dedication on plaque – suggestions for this plaque were submitted to Ray without names of people who had written their ideas – only numbers; so Ray and several other volunteers who made the final decision would have no clue who submitted them.  Someone held the original papers to keep it all anonymous and fair.  Sun City Granite in Perris did the engraving and what a great job they did.  They are still in business today.

Selecting a Monument Company

Dale Neizgocki located a monument company and negotiated the contract for the marble and design – two stations for Army, two for Navy and one each for Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and one for Merchant Marines and Allied vets combined.  The cement foundation was poured in August of 2001 with a dedication date of November 11, 2001.  This just about concluded my involvement with the monument due to the need of a neurosurgeon in late August or early Septemer.  Harlee Lassiter, John Moeller, Dick Tison and other volunteers picked up the baton and completed the project.  I know other people helped and i’ve not mentioned their names due to my poor memory. 

Thank you.  Ray Labbe