In celebration of Memorial Day, John Mercurio from the Contra Costa Historical Society presented a program titled “Sheriff Veale and the Pursuit of a Worthy Memorial” about the Soldiers Memorial Monument.
Driving through Pleasant Hill it is hard to miss the Soldiers Memorial, standing 45 feet in height and weighing 45 tons. Oh yes it is also almost in the middle of Monument Boulevard. Its story begins with Contra Costa County Sheriff Richard Veal who was thankful that his son had returned safely from the Great War, WW1. Many other Contra Costa County residents were not so lucky. So, using his prominent position in the county he set out to raise funds to erect a memorial to those that died. The result of his efforts is the Soldier’s Monument in Pleasant Hill.
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