Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony

Image Courtesy of VFW Post 4748-Michael Wharton

There will be a Patriots Day Remembrance Ceremony in Tuolumne City this morning from 9:11 through 9:30 AM, on the 9/11 Memorial Work Site.

Aaron Rasmussen, co-chairperson for the 9/11 Global War on Terrorism Memorial was KVML’s “Newsmaker of the Day”.

There will also be a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 8:45 AM this morning in San Andreas, at the Government Center with local veterans and law enforcement.

According to Rasmussen, the public is invited to this morning’s ceremony in Tuolumne. There will be light refreshments served afterwards.

In about two months construction should be completed on the new 9/11 War on Terrorism Memorial on the grounds of the Tuolumne Veterans Memorial Hall.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 14 and Frank Smart of the VFW Post 4748 says there was initially a hope that the project would be completed by Patriot Day, September 11.

However, “The holdup is that we use volunteer contractors and those guys have a lot of work right now, which a very good thing, but we sometimes have to wait a little bit for them to get off a job and be able to help us out.”

$84,000 has been raised for the memorial and the VFW Post 4748 is still seeking some additional donations. Last year Summerville High School senior Candace Olsen helped raise $73,000 as part of a senior project, with help from local businesses and residents, and additional money was donated by groups like the Sonora Area Foundation.

“The response from the community has been fantastic,” says Smart.

To help fund and maintain the memorial the organization is selling commemorative bricks starting at $50 to honor any military members, firefighters, EMTs, and law enforcement. Smart encourages residents to purchase a brick within the next few weeks to ensure that they are completed ahead of the dedication.

Smart can be reached at 209-559-1908.

Click on the photos to view the latest construction progress and an artist rendering of what it will look like upon completion.

The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.