VA Hospital Sign to Honor Veterans

A large bronze sign honoring past, present and future veterans will be unveiled Thursday on the grounds of a Veterans Affairs care facility.

The 41-by-45-inch marker stands on a 7-foot-high pole in front of the main entrance of the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, built to replace the hospital facility that was destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It features a blue star, reminiscent of the days when families of servicemen placed a blue star in their window.

In 1946, the National Council of State Garden Clubs began placing Blue Star Memorial markers along highways to pay tribute to World War II vets. Small markers were later placed in civic areas and in recent years, large signs honoring all veterans started going up.

This is the fourth such large marker in the state and only the second to be placed on VA hospital property, said Robin Pokorski, president of the Southern California Garden Club. She said the site was chosen because the club has done a lot for the medical center over the years, including giving Christmas presents to patients and providing flowers for its chapel.

“They wanted it just as much as we wanted to give it,” said Pokorski. The club had bake sales and opportunity drawings for two years to raise $650 toward the sign, with another $300 from California Garden Clubs Inc.

The public is invited to attend the dedication at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at 16111 Plummer St., Building 200, North Hills.