User:Jordojuice/Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial

The Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial is a memorial to those American troops that have lost their lives in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Located at Northwood Community Park, on the corner of Yale and Bryan in the Northwood community of the city of Irvine, California, it is the only known memorial in the United States dedicated to an ongoing conflict. Currently, within the park resides a temporary memorial set up by a small group of community members. A permanent memorial, being constructed mere feet away from the temporary memorial, is slated to be complete in the Fall of 2010.

History
The Northwood Memorial began as an individual effort by one concerned community resident. Shortly after the invasion of Iraq, after hearing of the deaths of about thirty soldiers, Asher Milgrom, a local resident of Irvine, created the first makeshift memorial that would be placed at the park. The original memorial, built by Asher in his own garage, consisted of thirty wooden posts bearing the names and photos of the fallen. Since 2003, community residents have come together to maintain a temporary memorial on the same site each year from Memorial Day until shortly after Independence Day.

Permanent Memorial
In late 2009, after years of debate, the Irvine City Council unanimously approved a plan to create a permanent memorial in place of the temporary one. With city leaders earmarking $150,000 for the $210,000 project, community members pledged to cover the remaining shortfall through donations and support from the community.

Memorial Features

 * Monument sign and plaque
 * Lighted flagpole
 * Paved walkway
 * Three seat walls
 * Five granite covered pedestals in honor of the fallen
 * Space for approximately 8,000 names