Sonora - The Veterans Memorial committee of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 391 of Sonora reports that they received donations for over 585 bricks which will be used in the walkway around the Veterans Memorial to be constructed at the new $2.5 million VA Medical Clinic in Sonora. “We can only fit 720 bricks in the area and there are only about 135 left. That’s why we’ve put a deadline of October 30 on donating for a brick. So, if you’ve been thinking about it, now is the time to act,” said Frank Smart, committee chair. The Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic on Mono Way, the location of the new Veterans Memorial, opened on September 29 with opening ceremonies scheduled for October 9 at 11:00 a.m. According to Smart, they are aiming at having the Memorial finished by December. The VVA Chapter began offering the bricks several months ago in order to finance the Memorial. The bricks will surround the Memorial which will be located where the flagpole is located at the front of the building. “We have one of the area’s best artists, Gereon Rios to design it and now we’re getting the materials together,” said Smart. The Veterans Memorial honors all veterans from all services and the Merchant Marines from all of the nation’s wars. According to Rios, the Memorial was conceived to resemble a “Peacemaker” revolver cylinder. This was a weapon used during the late 1800s in the west and carried by lawmen. Rios says this piece will rival many of those in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. Smart is being assisted in this endeavor by Vietnam Veterans John Bright, Dave Bonnot, Bill Chamberlain, George Eldridge, and Geroon Rios. A 4x8-inch brick donation is $50 and an 8x8-inch paver is $100. There are four lines available on the brick while there are eight lines on the paver. VVA Chapter 391 is the largest in California and ninth out of 650 in the nation. The California State VVA Council named the Sonora Chapter as Chapter of the Year. The Chapter sponsors several events during the year and the proceeds go to support their many community services. Applications for the bricks are available at the VA Sonora Clinic, Chamber of Commerce, at the County Veterans Service Office, and on Chapter 391’s web site, www.VietnamVeterans391.org as well as the County’s web site, www.Tuolumne.county.ca.gov. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.