A message from Executive Director, Neil O’Connell
As we close out 2025, I’m filled with gratitude for supporters like you. Thanks to your generosity, Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial continues to stand as a Beacon of Freedom—one of the nation’s most pristine veterans memorials—honoring those who’ve defended our freedoms. This year has been extraordinary.
We’ve welcomed over 300,000 visitors from around the world, free of charge. Families seeking to honor loved ones. Veterans reflecting on their service. Students learning about sacrifice. Travelers discovering a sacred space they never knew existed. Each visitor walks among nearly 7,000 plaques telling the stories of more than 10,000 veterans. These permanent tributes, funded through charitable giving and maintained by dozens of dedicated volunteers who contribute thousands of hours every year, ensure these legacies inspire generations to come.
This year tested our community—and you responded with overwhelming strength. When the Murphy Canyon air disaster struck in May, our community’s true character emerged. Partnering with the San Diego Nice Guys, we raised $50,000 for devastated military families in their darkest hour. When vandalism threatened our Memorial, you responded within days, contributing thousands of dollars to restore the park’s northwest lawn. These moments prove we’re not just maintaining a memorial—we’re nurturing a community bound by service and sacrifice.
We’ve also hosted close to 100 ceremonies and events this year, each a powerful reminder of the courage and dedication of our veterans. From memorial services to military retirements and promotions, from wreath-laying ceremonies to educational tours—each event creates meaningful moments of remembrance and community connection. These ceremonies are free and open to the public, ensuring that anyone who wishes to honor our veterans can do so in this sacred space.
We’re especially proud of our expanding educational programs, which have impacted over 550 students since our launch in 2024. This year, we welcomed 275 students from five exceptional schools for immersive educational experiences: Lighthouse Academy, The Evans School, All Hollows, The Rhoades School, and Cathedral Catholic.
Students don’t just read about sacrifice—they stand among 10,000 stories of it. They touch plaques bearing the names and faces of heroes. They ask questions about service, courage, and what it means to defend freedom. They leave changed, carrying with them a deeper understanding of patriotism and the true cost of liberty. Through partnerships with local schools and youth organizations, we’re connecting young minds with profound lessons of history and service that will shape their character for years to come. This is how legacies live on.
None of our work would be possible without the extraordinary network of community partners who believe in our mission. This year, we’ve been honored to collaborate with distinguished organizations that share our commitment to honoring veterans and educating future generations. Corporate partners like The Home Depot, Bank of America, and Jersey Mike’s Subs have provided critical support for our programs and operations. Veterans organizations from the San Diego Veterans Coalition and SDMAC to the Wounded Warrior Project, VCA, and the USS Midway Museum help us serve those who served.
Community organizations including Rotary International, Girl Scouts, 365 Connect, La Jolla Historical Society, North County Philanthropy Council, and the San Diego Tourism Authority have helped us expand our reach and impact. Youth and education partners like ASML Youth Programs, La Salle College Preparatory, and numerous local schools continue to bring students to our memorial for transformative educational experiences. Service organizations such as The Village Garden Club of La Jolla, USS Sterrett Association, San Diego Air & Space Museum, Estate Planning Council of San Diego, North County Estate Planning Council, and North San Diego Business Chamber all contribute to making our memorial a vibrant community hub.
Many other valued partners including Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, Neuroth Construction, Patriot General Engineering, Waterfront Bar & Grill, AmeriVet Contracting, Bub’s at the Ballpark, A1 Bernstein, Broken Yolk Cafe, The Auld Sod, National University, Warrior Foundation Freedom Station, SYCUAN, The Irish Outreach Center, CloudCast, Honor Flight San Diego, R3 Business Solutions, and the San Diego Padres Baseball Club continue to support our mission. Together, we’re building something that extends far beyond the granite and stone of our memorial—we’re creating a living legacy of service, sacrifice, and community.
None of this would be possible without the 550 members who provide the crucial foundation of support that keeps this sacred site thriving, and the 5,500 volunteer hours contributed by dozens of dedicated individuals who maintain this pristine memorial—cleaning plaques, tending grounds, welcoming visitors—ensuring that every person who visits experiences the dignity and reverence our veterans deserve.
As a 100% privately funded memorial, every program, every plaque, every ceremony depends on supporters like you. Without government funding, your charitable gifts directly enable us to preserve our memorial grounds and nearly 7,000 plaques, expand education and community outreach programs, provide free public access for hundreds of thousands of annual visitors, and host nearly 100 annual ceremonies and military events. Because of you, the sacrifices of our veterans continue to inspire future generations.
As we look toward 2026, we’re committed to expanding our impact by growing our educational programs to reach even more students and schools, maintaining pristine conditions that honor our veterans with the dignity they deserve, continuing free public access for all who wish to visit, hosting meaningful ceremonies that bring our community together, and deepening partnerships with organizations that share our mission. Together, we’re safeguarding the stories of American heroes and ensuring their sacrifices continue to inspire hope, pride, and patriotism for years to come.
To everyone who visited, volunteered, donated, became a member, or simply believed in this mission—thank you. You are not just supporters. You are guardians of memory and honor.
If you’d like to make a year-end gift before December 31st (tax-deductible for 2025), your contribution will directly support our 2026 programs and ensure this Beacon of Freedom stands strong for generations to come.
[Donate Before December 31st] –https://soledadmemorial.org/end-of-year-giving/
With profound gratitude,
Neil O’Connell
Executive Director
