Granite Bay veterans memorial stands even taller

A memorial in Granite Bay that displays flags of all U.S. Armed Forces branches, including the POW-MIA flag, was recently enhanced. Flagpoles were upgraded, allowing the flags to fly even higher as they stand proudly at the corner of Douglas Blvd. and Barton Road. Recently, officials from the Placer County Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the Granite Bay Rotary Club, along with Gold Star and Blue Star mothers, took part in a ceremony to celebrate the recent upgrades to the memorial. The event included a flag-raising ceremony and comments from Placer County District 4 Supervisor Suzanne Jones, and Gold Star mother Patty Schumacher, whose son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Victor Dew of Granite Bay, was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Members of the Rotary Club of Granite Bay said in a statement the Walk of Honor aims to honor every person who served in the armed forces. They selected Granite Bay Community Park because the flag location is easily visible and stands at an extremely busy intersection, giving the memorial a high amount of visibility. "The Granite Bay Rotary Club wants to honor military and first responders with a memorial which will last a lifetime within our community. The project needs to be a permanent structure where people could place the name of a service member and come to walk or sit and reflect on the sacrifice of these individuals. We also wanted to pay our respects to the Gold Star Families so they too would have a place to come and remember their loved ones. We selected the Granite Bay Community Park as the location," the Rotary Club of Granite Bay explained. The memorial began in 2018 when the Rotary Club of Granite Bay erected a 50-foot flagpole for the American flag. Then in 2019, the club placed a bench in honor of Victor Dew, who was killed in action on Oct. 13, 2010. In 2020, they erected the POW/MIA flag in honor of all who remain missing following conflicts. The club has also built a wall with memorial bricks engraved with names of service members. On the last day of September each year, the Rotary Club of Granite Bay hosts a ceremony at the community park Walk of Honor on Gold Star Mothers and Families Day to honor and remember all who have died in military service.