Walk of Honor memorial in Granite Bay pays tribute to veterans

Published on October 04, 2018

Walk of Honor Flags

On any given day, Placer County’s Granite Bay Community Park serves as place for people of all ages to enjoy the freedoms and liberties provided by living in the United States of America.

Honoring the sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces that make those freedoms possible, the park is now home to the newly-installed Walk of Honor memorial providing community members a place to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our nation’s military veterans and their families.

The memorial features a 50-foot pole flying the American flag flanked by five service flags representing each branch of the armed services, lined up in chronological date of their establishment.

“It is a privilege to have the Walk of Honor as part of the Granite Bay community,” said District 4 Supervisor Kirk Uhler. “This memorial will serve as a reminder of the great sacrifice paid by the men and women of our military as well as their families.”

The Walk of Honor memorial was officially debuted on Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, September 30, with a special dedication ceremony to honor Gold Star mothers and veterans.


Walk of Honor memorial dedication ceremony - National Anthem from Placer County Video Portal on Vimeo.

Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day is observed on the last Sunday of September each year to recognize and honor families who have lost a family member in the service of our country.

The ceremony, hosted by the Rotary Club of Granite Bay, was well attended by Gold Star mothers, veterans, veteran family members, members of the community and Placer County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The ceremony featured keynote speeches by U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, Assemblymember Kevin Kiley, Granite Bay Rotary Club president Richard Krupp and Gold Star mom Patty Schumacher.

“The gratitude that is owed to every person who came here today is making a powerful statement to the Gold Star families - that we are never going to forget their loved-one’s sacrifice. We will always remember their names,” said McClintock.

Schumacher’s son, U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Victor Dew, was killed in action on October 13, 2010, while serving in Afghanistan.

“The importance of this memorial is so that we always have a front-and-center reminder of our military, what they do for us, so that we have a place of reflection and honoring them,” said Schumacher. “We want to make sure that none of them are forgotten.”

Dew moved to Granite Bay with his family in 2002, and attended Olympus Junior High School and Granite Bay High School.

The Walk of Honor memorial originated and was designed, funded and built by the Granite Bay Rotary Club in coordination with the Placer County planning and parks divisions.

Walk of Honor memorial

“We’re dedicating this memorial to those who have served and are currently serving in the armed forces, in particular to those who gave everything. We hope this will help their families, to lift them up and give them strength to press on,” said Krupp.

The Rotary Club has unofficially adopted the park by previously installing baseball field bleachers, a picnic pavilion and landscaping - all made possible through the Rotary’s fundraising efforts.

The club is planning to enhance the memorial by adding a granite park bench in the honor of those who have given their lives, with Victor Dew being the first to be memorialized on the bench.

Krupp said that the Parks Division was very helpful in putting the project together. Staff from county’s parks, real estate services, and community development departments guided the Rotary Club through the permit process, waived permitting costs, assisted with construction, grading and traffic control.

“Congratulations are in order for the Rotary Club for their altruistic efforts to enhance Granite Bay Park,” said Parks Division planner Ted Rel, who oversaw the project on behalf of Placer County and is a U.S. Navy veteran. “It has been an honor for our parks team to be part of this project to incorporate such a touching tribute to our nation’s fallen in one of our parks.”

The Walk of Honor memorial is located on the corner of Douglas Boulevard and Barton Road in Granite Bay.