El Soldado Memorial
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| Location | Capitol Mall, Sacramento, California |
|---|---|
| Material | Marble |
| Completion date | 1951 |
| Dedicated to | Mexican-American & Chicano veterans from California |
The California Mexican-American Veterans Memorial (Spanish: Memorial a los Veteranos Mexicoamericanos de California), more commonly known as El Soldado Memorial (Monumento El Soldado), is a marble war memorial in Sacramento, California, honoring the contributions of California's Mexican-American/Chicano veterans.[1] [2] It is located on the Capitol Mall, directly across from the California State Capitol and besides the Unruh Building.[2]
History
[edit]In 1948, a group of Mexican/Chicano mothers formed La Sociedad de Madres Mexicanas (the Society of Mexican Mothers) with the goal of creating a memorial for their sons and husbands who served and gave their lives in World War II.[3] The group held a series of grassroots fundraisers, including selling tamales, to raise money for the memorial.[3]
The memorial was sculpted in Italy, to a cost of $4,000, and erected at the former Sacramento Mexican-American Center on May 10, 1951 (Mexican Mothers’ Day). It stood there until 1975, when it was moved to its current location across from the California State Capitol.[2][1] In 1985, Assembly Member Richard Polanco sponsored legislation that ceded the state grounds to the memorial and authorized its expansion.[2]
In 2016, the monument was restored and its grounds were expanded.[4]
Inscription
[edit]The inscription, in Spanish, on the monument reads:
HOMENAJE DE GRATIDUD
IMPERECEDERA A LOS HEROICOS
SOLDADOS DEL VALLE DE SACRAMENTO
QUE OFRENDARON SUS VIDAS ANTE
EL ALTAR DE NUESTRAS SACRO-
SANTAS LIBERTADES DURANTE
LA SEGUNDA GEURRA MUNDIAL
SOCIEDAD DE MADRES MEXICANAS
MAYO 10 DE 1951
The inscription translated into English reads:
Homage in Gratitude
Everlasting to the Heroic
Soldiers of the Valley of Sacramento
That Offered Their Lives Before
The Altar of Our Sacro-
Sanct Liberties During
The Second World War
Society of Mexican Mothers
May 10 of 1951
References
[edit]- ^ a b CalVet California Department of Veteran Affairs - ispanic/Latinx Veterans
- ^ a b c d California Capitol Museum - El Soldado War Memorial
- ^ a b ABC 10 - The story behind the Capitol's 'El Soldado' statue
- ^ San Diego Union-Tribune en Español - Restauraran el monumento al soldado hispano en Sacramento