Memorial monument for Valley vets coming soon to Coarsegold

COARSEGOLD, Calif. (KFSN) -- Travelers heading to Yosemite National Park through the Central Valley will soon have a new sight to see.

With the kick of a few shovels, a new honor for Valley veterans began. Caring Veterans of America will build a Veterans Memorial Monument on a corner of Coarsegold.

A lot of military families live in the mountain town and now they'll have somewhere close for an emotional connection.

"But my suspicion is that Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and other days their families will come here, praying for their loved ones while at the same time surrounded by a veterans network that understands," Lt. Col. David Hall said.

The monument will go up at a busy intersection along Highway 41 as evidenced by an interruption in the groundbreaking ceremony. And that's partly by design.

Coarsegold often flashes by for visitors headed to Yosemite, and now they'll all see the monument.

"So that everybody riding up and down on this road in those Control I buses from Germany and Japan and China can go, 'Hey, this is one of those little American towns you see in all the movies where the people really are patriotic and really care about their veterans,'" resident David Linn said.

The monument could be finished within the next couple months.