The Murrieta Veterans Memorial was designed to fit seamlessly into the existing fabric of the Civic Center Park in Murrieta. Careful attention was given to maintaining the same “V” paving and tree pattern. The memorial consists of seven individual walls representing each conflict and an obelisk honoring the five branches of military. Images of our veterans from each conflict are etched into both sides of the black granite walls and one bah relief. Each and every conflict, lives and countries were pulled into, abruptly interrupted by, and intertwined with moments of intense passion and conflict, commitment and escape, euphoria and desperation. A meandering decomposed granite path is designed to be at the base of the memorial walls, winding through the existing “V” pattern of the civic center to represent those feelings and commitments.

David Neault, landscape architect, was the design contractor for the recently unveiled Murrieta Veterans Memorial.   “Speaking for Suzanne and our staff, it has been a pleasure and privilege to work with the Murrieta Veteran’s Committee and the City of Murrieta on a Veterans Memorial that brings honor to the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms.  The passion, inspiration, knowledge and leadership that the Veterans on this Committee brought to each of our monthly meetings over the last four years was invaluable; and it was a driving force in our design.  Projects that have this much meaning and significance are very rare and we appreciate the opportunity that the City of Murrieta has given us in being the designers of the Memorial.” said Neault. 

An obelisk is located at the terminus of the Civic Center Park. It represents the City of Murrieta’s dedication to honor Veteran's who fought for our freedoms. The obelisk is “draped” with the American Flag and at its base honors the five branches of service.  It is the highest visual identification of the memorial and is easily seen throughout the civic center plaza for all to identify.

Each wall is set in a chronological time line to be viewed from both pathways, but is also set to interrupt the decomposed granite meandering path that links the monument walls.  It is this interruption that symbolizes those struggles and abrupt interruption of life.  The heights and shapes represented in the inclined and buried portions of the walls symbolize the moments of rise and fall in events that occurred during these conflicts.  The thickness of the wall relative to its height represents a commitment to strength defying gravity in seemingly adverse conditions. 

A wall, dedicated in honor of those missing in action, is represented away from both main pathways in a shrub planter.  Images of all five branches of service are etched into the granite.  The wall is floating in this planter to represent the fact that those missing in action may be far from our physical points in life, but are always rooted securely in our hearts.