Dear veterans and supporters of veterans,
I am Michael Cervantes, the San Gabriel Veterans Memorial Coalition’s President and CEO. The coalition is dedicated to supporting the veterans of San Gabriel and beyond. From the beginning, the Coalition has had two goals: to recognize veterans from our community who have offered their service and sometimes their lives to our country, from World War I or earlier to the present, in the form of a monument, and the second goal is equally important: to provide vital resources for veterans to assist them in their daily lives, ensuring they are never alone in their life’s journey.
The members’ dedication to the abovementioned goals goes above and beyond their call of duty, and they do so without hesitation. They are among the “unsung heroes” of our community. Our leadership recently received disturbing information found in city council member Tony Ding’s campaign document entitled, Meet Tony Ding. Our focus is on one sentence found in the fourth paragraph, the last sentence:
“He also established the Veterans Memorial Plaza Park and a monument at Plaza Park, demonstrating his commitment to honoring and serving all community members.”
The document’s sentence states that Council Member Ding established a Veterans Memorial Plaza Park and a Veterans’ monument at Plaza Park. We are unaware of the city taking such actions. The coalition raises funds for a future memorial with donations from the community. We hope those making these claims will acknowledge their errors, revise their statements, and attend the San Gabriel Veterans Memorial Coalition meetings at the San Gabriel Hilton Hotel to discuss the document and work closely with the Coalition’s projects.
It has been nearly four years since the Veterans Coalition established a goal to have a monument constructed to honor our San Gabriel veterans. Other cities surrounding San Gabriel have veteran monuments, so it seems only fitting that San Gabriel has theirs. The property at Plaza Park is owned by the Archdiocese but managed by the city. We received approval from the city council and the Archdiocese to use a location to build a memorial; it has been the responsibility of the Coalition to help design and raise funds for its establishment. We hope Council Member Ding will meet to discuss our vision of a veterans’ memorial and his document.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.
Email: sangabrielvmc@gmail.com
Mail P.O. Box 357, San Gabriel, CA 91778-357
Phone: (626) 862-3196
We appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
