Controversial Monument Honoring Fallen American Soldiers Moves Forward Monday, Faces Test Tuesday

A monument meant to honor “Enduring Heroes” to be placed at Defenders Parkway will be considered by a city commission tonight at 6:00 p.m. at 233 W Mountain Street room 220 after surviving a City Council policy change Monday.

The memorial, which has caused contention since it was introduced, seeks to remember the fallen heroes of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan from the greater Pasadena Area.

Six Gold Star families have worked to create a design that features a soldier holding up an American flag triumphantly. It would be a seven foot bronze sculpture placed near the WWI memorial flagpole already at Defenders Parkway.

The Council passed a policy change on Monday evening governing how memorials are approved within the City that the Enduring Heroes Memorial supporters were worried would stall their project.

“A few years ago we had some parents coming in that spoke at public comments. It was parents of a fallen soldier, someone who has given the ultimate sacrifice protecting all Americans,” Councilmember Gene Masuda said. “It was so embarrassing because this was something we should have done a long time ago.”

Several voiced concerns about the apparent lack of public input for privately funded project to be in a public space.

Michael Cornwell lives in the complex right next to Defenders Park.

“If the applicant is unwilling to reconsider design, it would be best to put it on private land,” Cornwell said. “I think it is inappropriate for this concept to be designed without the additional scrutiny through the process proposed.”

Carla Willecka said that the Federal Government requires 25 years after the death of a person or after the end of a conflict to create a memorial.

“Regarding public notice the current policy is particularly lacking. Memorials come to the Council with very few people knowing,” Willecka said.

Councilmember Tyron Hampton said it the families who are designing and proposing the memorial had already been dragged to many City meetings, too many to change the policies on them after so much work.

“When I met with the families, they felt like they were uncertain if this policy change was going to affect them, knowing they abided by the previous policy,” Hampton said. “Given the sensitive nature of this group it would have been the right thing to do to not bring this policy up until it had been approved.”

Councilmember Victor Gordo voiced support for the memorial.

“We aren’t putting new hurdles in front of that project,” Gordo said.

The idea sparked from tragic death of Sgt Scott Studenmund, age 24 on June 9, 2014 in service in Afghanistan.

Many of the families realized the issue is a “hot potato” for the City Council and thanked them for “standing up to do the right thing.”

“Today is the right time. There is a lot of negativity against it. We have to stay positive,” Ramirez said who changed his flight to be at the council meeting. “I came in here seven years ago to ask for this.”

Mothers of the fallen soldiers attended the City Council meeting to ensure that the memorial would not be delayed.

“I’m here with my committee, I want to thank you for allowing Enduring Heroes to follow under the current policy that we have been working on for a year. We are so appreciative to hear the words you have spoken tonight,” Shelly Lowe said.

The memorial will be discussed by the Recreation and Parks Commisison on September 1 at 6:00 p.m. The memorial decision will come before the City Council at the end of September.

“Is there anything more significant than giving your life?” asked JC Getz who served in the Marine Corp to defend the country’s constitutional rights. “Monuments don’t memorialize wars, they memorialize men.”

Separately, a traveling memorial remembering the fallen will visit the Pasadena Sons of the American Legion, Post 13, from September 14 through September 26. On September 13th Patriot Guards and American Legion Riders will escort the exhibit through the streets of Pasadena, arriving shortly after the anniversary of 9/11, into Pasadena.

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