A proposed memorial wall in the unincorporated town of Lakeside is inching closer to reality, one that organizers say could eventually carry the names of up to 13,000 veterans who called the community home. The Lakeside Veterans Wall of Honor, envisioned for a spot in front of the town's community center at Lindo Lake Park, is now moving through San Diego County's review process, with backers hoping to fund the entire build through donations.
Richard Abraham, a U.S. Navy veteran and longtime Lakeside resident, proposed the wall and told The San Diego Union-Tribune that civilians need a place to recognize and honor veterans in their community. The proposed structure includes a polished concrete wall with plaques set along its interior curve, an illuminated sign reading “Lakeside Veterans Wall of Honor,” and two benches for visitors, according to the same report. Organizers estimate the project will cost between $300,000 and $400,000, and once construction begins, it could take up to four years to finish.
Lakeside, home to about 22,000 residents, has an estimated 1,700 military veterans, according to the most recent census data — though Abraham said he believes the true number is likely much higher. That undercount matters regionally too: East County San Diego is home to more than 57,000 military veterans, according to 2023 estimates from Supervisor Joel Anderson's office, and San Diego County overall holds one of the largest concentrations of military veterans in the country, with more than 200,000 veterans making up roughly 9 percent of the county's population, per the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
How the Wall Would Work
Once built, families and community members will be able to sponsor plaques honoring eligible veterans. The wall will honorably discharge veterans who lived in Lakeside at any point in their lives, and each plaque will include the veteran's name, military branch, years of service, and the war or wars they served in. Service documentation must be verified before any plaque is added, the newspaper's report notes.
The cost of individual plaques has not yet been determined. Fees are expected to cover engraving costs, with remaining funds set aside for ongoing wall maintenance. The San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department is still working through those specific planning details, though the department has voiced support for the project overall.
Sean Hill, chief of operations for the East County region at San Diego County Parks and Recreation, is among the officials involved as the proposal winds through county channels. Supervisor Anderson, who backs the proposal, contributed $3,000 toward the project's design through the county's Neighborhood Reinvestment Program, a grant mechanism that funds one-time community and recreational infrastructure in unincorporated areas without drawing on city budgets, according to San Diego County. Anderson said the memorial will stand for generations as a place of reflection, gratitude, and remembrance.
A Landmark Undergoing Its Own Transformation
The wall's proposed site sits within a park that is itself in the middle of a major overhaul. Lindo Lake is the only natural freshwater lake in San Diego County, and Lakeside was originally built up around its shores in the late 1800s, according to San Diego County Parks and Recreation. The 55-acre Lindo Lake County Park already includes the Lakeside Community Center, a historic boathouse, a skate park, a butterfly garden, and 1.5 miles of ADA-compliant trails, according to the county parks department.
The county completed an $11.2 million Phase 1 restoration of the lake's East Basin in August 2022 that removed more than 200,000 tons of accumulated sediment to improve water quality, and a Phase 2 restoration of the West Basin — adding a new fishing pier, accessible walkways, and native habitat — is scheduled to begin this fall, per the county parks department's project page. Placing the veterans wall in front of the community center puts it squarely in the park's main foot-traffic area.
Community Groups Weigh In
Lakeside already has a Veterans of Foreign Wars clubhouse that provides a meeting place for veterans, offers resources, and holds events. Wendy Calderon, post commander for Lakeside's VFW, said the memorial will give veterans a place to meet and reflect. The Lakeside VFW Auxiliary separately organizes card drives and support visits for hospitalized veterans at the VA La Jolla Healthcare System.
Project organizers have formally established Lakeside Veterans Wall Of Honor, Inc. as a registered local non-profit to handle governance and private fundraising independently of county accounts. The Veterans East County Alliance, operating under the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce, is also accepting tax-deductible donations to support the effort, reflecting broader institutional backing from East County business leaders. Nearby Alpine has already built its own Veterans Wall of Honor, offering a regional blueprint in which community members sponsor individual engraved plaques for veteran family members.
For now, organizers are fundraising for preliminary renderings and pre-construction costs, with plans to fund full construction entirely through donations once the project clears county review. If it moves forward as designed, Lakeside's wall would give the community's veterans, and the tens of thousands more across East County, a permanent, visible place for remembrance, reflection, and gathering at the park that has anchored the town since its founding.
