Beacon Lighting

The Eye of Diablo

Commemorating Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Please join us on Thursday, December 7, at the California State University East Bay Concord Campus, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road, Concord, for the annual Beacon lighting ceremony. Parking is free.

3 PM: USS Arizona Reception and Exhibit
3:45 PM: Ceremony Begins (Oak Room)
5 PM: Beacon Lighting

December 7: day that will live in infamy, and in our hearts forever.

The Beacon was originally lit by Charles Lindbergh in 1928 to assist in the early days of commercial aviation. The Beacon shone from the summit of Mount Diablo each night until December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was not relit until December 7, 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces during World War II, attended a ceremony on Mount Diablo’s summit in commemoration of the survivors of Pearl Harbor. He suggested that the Beacon be lit every December 7th to honor those who served and sacrificed.

Since that day in 1964, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and now the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors with co-sponsor Save Mount Diablo have memorialized Pearl Harbor Day by turning on the summit Beacon atop Mount Diablo. The Beacon now shines on December 7th each year.

When that Beacon light is turned on, that’s a tribute to those individuals who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.”

Beginning in 2022, the Beacon is also being lit on Memorial Day and Veterans Day to honor veterans.

Hear stories from Pearl Harbor Survivors in our special commemorative Beacon video:

Restoring the Beacon atop Mount Diablo

The “Eye” is one of the last remaining working beacons from the transcontinental string of guides.

The Beacon now shines brighter than ever since it underwent an extensive restoration process in 2013 to ensure it continues to shine for many more years.

Until its recent restoration in 2013, the Beacon was in such significant disrepair that it was always a concern as to whether or not it would light.

In spite of budget cuts and tightening of belts, then–Assemblymember Buchanan wrote and helped pass legislation to allow Save Mount Diablo to oversee the work and fundraising for the Beacon’s restoration on behalf of California State Parks.

Many businesses volunteered services for the project. Shell Refinery in Martinez and Maxim Crane donated a crane and rigging crew to assist with the removal and return of the Beacon to the summit building. Local companies like Redwood Painting and Global Village provided some of the services and expertise for the Beacon’s repairs.

To help raise the remaining funds needed to properly rehabilitate the Beacon, Chevron created a public service announcement about the project, and the Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation matched donations up to $50,000 to help reach the $100,000 goal for the project.

The Pearl Harbor Survivors now know that the Beacon will shine long after they are gone.