It’s fitting that the centerpiece for the planned Kern County World War II Memorial will feature a 6-foot-tall bronze statue of a grieving widow and child receiving word that their beloved warrior has died in battle.
Whether it’s World War II, any other of the nation’s wars or even peacetime service, our military forces are called upon to make the “ultimate sacrifice” — lay down their lives to protect ours.
But on the homefront, there are the loss of loved ones, the sacrifice of monthslong separations, and bleak futures that loom heavy. War is not a tragedy that strikes a single soldier. It is the destruction of families.
As the ages of many local World War II veterans reach the centennial mark and beyond, a nonprofit organization has formed to build a war memorial in Jastro Park and dedicate it on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Estimated to cost about $500,000, the planned memorial will feature six large black granite pieces, representing the six branches of the American armed forces during World War II. Placed in a semicircle, each piece will be engraved on the front with the names of the 684 Kern County people who lost their lives in action during the war. Engraved on the opposite side will be the names of Kern County World War II veterans who served and returned home.
The idea for the memorial’s bronze statue centerpiece of the grieving woman and child came from World War II veteran and retired North High School teacher Walter Grainger.
“As the World War II veteran on the committee, he knows how heartbreaking these moments in history were,” said Grainger’s daughter, Kathleen Grainger-Shaffer, who also serves on the memorial committee.
“This will be a one-of-a-kind memorial,” said local Vietnam War veteran Ed Gaede, who has been working for months to coordinate the complex project.
Renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor, a native of Taft who grew up in Bakersfield, has started work on the centerpiece statue, which will sit on a 3-foot base that features the Kern County and Bakersfield seals, the memorial’s name, and six gold stars representing each branch of the armed forces.
Grainger, who graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1945, was one of five brothers to fight in World War II. Grainger served a year and a half aboard the USS Crenshaw, an attack transport ship in the Pacific. Grainger and memorial committee members have been meeting with the sculptor to develop the concept for the centerpiece.
“I’m honored to be part of this project to honor our World War II veterans and their families,” Victor said. “Bakersfield, of course, is my hometown and I’m so proud to be given the opportunity to work on this project.”
A Foothill High School graduate, Victor, 43, is one of the most recognized sculptors in America. He is the only living artist to have three works in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. They include Nevada’s 19th-century Paiute activist Sarah Winnemucca; Nebraska’s Chief Standing Bear; and Iowa’s agricultural innovator Norman Borlaug. Closer to home, Victor completed the Taft Oilworker Monument.
Groundbreaking for the Kern County World War II Memorial is being planned for late May, with construction beginning in the summer. The project is being funded by private and corporate tax-deductible donations.
More information can be found at www.kerncountywwiimemorial.com. The website also connects to PayPal and GoFundMe opportunities to contribute. Checks also can be sent to Kern County World War II Veterans Memorial, 6077 Coffee Road, #4-192, Bakersfield, CA 93308.