CONCORD, CA—On December 7th, Mount Diablo’s Beacon will be relit by a survivor of Pearl Harbor supported by a Save Mount Diablo team.
The Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 5 are pleased to co-sponsor this 61st annual National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Beacon lighting ceremony with Save Mount Diablo; California State Parks; and California State University, East Bay.
We invite you to attend the ceremony to pay tribute to the lives that were lost and honor our surviving veterans of Pearl Harbor. The ceremony will be held at the California State University, East Bay Concord Center at 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road in Concord.
Viewing of the USS Arizona exhibit at the CSUEB Concord Center will be available from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM. The ceremony will commence at 3:45 PM in the Oak Room. Pearl Harbor Survivor Earl “Chuck” Kohler is expected to attend.
The program begins with the posting of colors and pledge of allegiance by the Historical Forces Association, and the national anthem, sung by Erin Hegarty.
Cathy Sandeen, President of California State University, East Bay will give a welcoming, followed by Ted Clement, Executive Director for Save Mount Diablo, who will give ceremonial remarks, and Clint Elsholz, Acting Diablo Range District Superintendent, who will give district remarks.
Gary Moreland, the son of a Pearl Harbor survivor, will then speak, followed by remarks from the recipient of the Pearl Harbor Legacy scholarship, who will speak about the work supported by the award.
The Pearl Harbor Legacy Scholarship in history is a competitive scholarship that supports undergraduate and graduate history majors studying the World War II era, and with an interest in teaching at the K–12 or higher education levels.
Pearl Harbor Survivor Earl “Chuck” Kohler, who celebrated his 100th birthday this year, will speak about his experiences on December 7, 1941.
Afterwards, an Honorary Member of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor survivors, Wayne Korsinen, will speak and Frank Dorritie of Bugles across America will perform “Taps.” At 5 PM, the Beacon will be lit.
“The Beacon lighting is a tribute to those individuals that lost their lives at Pearl Harbor,” remarked Earl “Chuck” Kohler, Pearl Harbor Survivor.
The ceremony is also an opportunity to honor the survivors.
The ceremony will also be broadcast on Contra Costa Television during the following dates and times:
- Monday, December 16, at 9:00 PM
- Thursday, December 19, at 11:00 AM
- Saturday, December 21, at 1:00 PM
- Monday, December 23, at 9:00 PM
- Thursday, December 26, at 11:00 AM
- Saturday, December 28, at 1:00 PM
Contra Costa TV is available to watch on Comcast channel 27, AT&T/U-verse channel 99, and
Astound 32 and 1027, or online at www.contracostatv.org.
The Beacon on Mount Diablo was originally installed and illuminated in 1928 to aid in transcontinental aviation. It is one of the four guiding beacons installed along the West Coast by Standard Oil of California and is the only one known to still be operational.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Beacon’s light was extinguished during the West Coast blackout, for fear it could enable an attack on California.
It stayed dark until Pearl Harbor Day in 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces during World War II, relit the Beacon in a commemorative ceremony and suggested it be illuminated every December 7th to honor those who served and sacrificed.
Since that day, Pearl Harbor veterans and their families have gathered every December 7th to see the Beacon light shine once again.
The Beacon now shines brighter than ever since it underwent an extensive restoration process in 2013 (thanks to a campaign led by Save Mount Diablo) to ensure it continues to shine for many more years.
The Pearl Harbor Survivors now know that the Beacon will shine long after they are gone.
The Beacon is lit at sunset and shines all night on this evening each year. Beginning in 2022, it is also lit on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
On Sunday, April 11, 2021, Save Mount Diablo concluded a year of lighting the Beacon weekly to bring light and hope to our region during the worst of the pandemic.
Save Mount Diablo has restored, maintained, and operated the Mount Diablo’s Summit Beacon, the Eye of Diablo for many years, and the organization is grateful to provide this service to our communities despite the time and cost involved.
About Save Mount Diablo
Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited nonprofit land trust founded in 1971. Our mission is to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, and watersheds; and its sustaining Diablo Range, through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit https://www.savemountdiablo.org/.
SUMMARY
What: Save Mount Diablo; the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Chapter 5; and California State Parks will light the “Eye of Diablo,” the Beacon atop Mount Diablo to memorialize National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. As the number of survivors has decreased over the years, the number of people attending the ceremony in honor of these heroes has increased, including many sons and daughters vital to organizing the service.
When: Saturday, December 7, 2024
USS Arizona viewing begins at 3:00 PM, ceremony at 3:45 PM, Beacon lighting at 5:00 PM
Where: The ceremony will be held at the California State University, East Bay Concord Center, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road, in Concord.
Directions: http://goo.gl/maps/jXhcW
Access: Parking is available, and parking fees will be waived for this event. See map.
For more information on the Beacon:
https://savemountdiablo.org/experience/events-outings/beacon-lighting/
Photo: Mount Diablo Summit Beacon, the “Eye of Diablo,” by Stephen Joseph. Additional high-resolution photos of the Beacon and the Pearl Harbor Survivors are available upon request by contacting lkindsvater@savemountdiablo.org.
Media Contacts:
Ted Clement, Executive Director, Save Mount Diablo
P: 925-947-3535, C: 925-451-8108, email: tclement@savemountdiablo.org
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