Battleship IOWA Museum recently applied for the Buscaino Community Grant. Here are the parameters for the application:
Are you a non-profit 501(c)(3), that has an idea or project that would transform your community? Apply for the one-time Buscaino Community Grants Program. The process is simple: submit your proposal, and then the community will vote to select the grant recipients.
Battleship IOWA’s proposal:
It is time to recognize the sacrifices of San Pedrans who served their country honorably! San Pedro has been home to thousands of service members and their families since 1888. We owe it to them to provide a place of reflection and a memorial to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Currently, there is no memorial in San Pedro listing the names of San Pedrans who died in WWI, Korea, or Vietnam.
The “San Pedro Fallen Veterans Memorial” was conceived by San Pedro native, Steve Marconi. It will be located adjacent to the historic USS IOWA – a vibrant museum and community hub on the Los Angeles Waterfront. The memorial will include a stunning three-slab granite monument with the names of all San Pedrans who died in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. We have identified more than 160 names from WWII and another 60 from other conflicts. The memorial will include a flagpole and lights so the American flag can proudly wave 24 hours a day. It will also include a “reflection space” with benches and shade where residents can pay homage to family members and loved ones, and visitors can be reminded of lives lost in service to their country.
Located on the Los Angeles waterfront, the world’s oceans will also be a point of reflection. The team at the Battleship IOWA Museum has been actively pursuing its plans to become the National Museum of the Surface Navy and recently applied for a state park grant to build the Freedom of the Seas Park and Pavilion. A major component of this park are memorials that recognize those who served, their families, and a green space for the community to reflect and enjoy the waterfront.
All branches of the U.S. Armed Forces will be represented on the memorial, including the U.S. Merchant Marine which serves as a part of the military during declared conflicts. The memorial is being designed so that it can be easily moved should the Battleship IOWA be relocated to a new berth at the Southern Pacific Slip as part of the West Harbor redevelopment.
Memorials like these honor the sacrifices of the past and the men and women serving our country every day. These brave patriots are giving up a part of their lives to guard the freedoms we enjoy and too often take for granted. We must never forget the cost of freedom! We believe it is our civic duty to tell the stories of the past and shape the stories of the future. Honor our heroes – vote for the San Pedro Fallen Veterans Memorial!
We can win this grant with your votes! Voting opens MONDAY, MAY 10th at 9:00 AM. Use this link to vote for us. (Link will NOT be live until voting opens. You may only vote once, so make yours count!)