As the country pays respects to those who served in the Armed Forces on Veterans Day, one Riverside cemetery continues to serve as the only Medal of Honor memorial in the country dedicated to veterans.
Riverside National Cemetery is home to the Medal of Honor Memorial, where veterans who’ve received the coveted title are honored with a monument. The memorial has the names of more than 3,500 Armed Forces members who earned the title.
Mike Goldware is a volunteer at the site who came up with the idea for the memorial, which took years of planning and was dedicated in 1999. Every feature of the memorial was carefully thought out to reflect the powerful stories behind each name, Goldware said.
“The black granite is to remind everyone about the complete and utter abyss of war,” he said. “Within the black granite, you see millions of gold flecks pointing out the millions of individual acts of heroism. But the ones that stand out are the ones that are inscribed with gold paint – Medal of Honor recipients.
The color red acts as a reminder of the cost of freedom and liberty, which is almost always blood.
Like every year on Veterans Day, the memorial and site paid tribute to those who served the nation. However, this year looked a little bit different.
Usually, thousands of American flags are placed next to each tombstone for the last 13 years by the nonprofit Honoring our Fallen. This year, because of the government shutdown, the event was canceled.
Over the weekend, however, families from across the Inland Empire showed up to help after hearing about the canceled event, placing more than 2,000 U.S. flags across the cemetery. Many families say they are focused on the meaning of Veterans Day and honoring those who are still with us, thanking them for their service while never forgetting those that gave their life for this country.
To learn more about Riverside National Cemetery, click here.