Veteran Seeks Funds for Local Memorial

Vietnam veteran Bob Kakuk is working to raise money for a Civic Center memorial that would recognize local veterans killed or missing in all U.S. wars this century.

He recently made a plea for donations at a City Council meeting, saying he is $15,000 short of the goal.

Kakuk said that so far, he has collected about $5,000 in donations, which he used for a down payment on a piece of black granite being shipped from India.

The project got a boost this month from the Huntington Beach Municipal Employees’ Assn., which contributed $500.

“We get a lot of requests for donations, but this is something that is local,” said Tom Hasty, an official of the 425-member union. “There’s a lot of veterans in our work force.”

Referring to the estimated 16,000 veterans living in Huntington Beach, Kakuk said: “If each one could give a buck, we could meet our goal.”

The City Council in May approved the plan for the memorial.

Kakuk, who is working with veterans’ groups on the project, said his hope is to dedicate the memorial on Veterans Day in November.

Donations may be mailed to the Huntington Beach Veterans’ Memorial Fund, 21661 Brookhurst St., No. 377, Huntington Beach, CA 92646.

Information: (714) 968-9591.

--BY DEBRA CANO AND LORI HAYCOX