THORNTON, CA (MPG) - Although he did not live to see it, Dewy Upton’s dream to recognize Thornton’s many war veterans will come to fruition on July 20, with the dedication of a veterans’ memorial plaque.

The ceremony dedicating the plaque will be at 10 a.m. at Thornton Veterans Memorial Park on the corner of Thornton Road and Mokelumne Avenue.

Engraved on the plaque are the names of more than 60 Thorntonians who served the United States military in war and peacetime, including two men who joined the Union Army during the Civil War.

The plaque project was spearheaded by Thornton resident Upton, who wanted to deepen the focus on veterans at a rose garden dedicated to service members, as well as preserve a local resource listing veterans.

Thornton Municipal Advisory Council Chair Lisa Swinyard said the list of veterans was painted on a wall in a bar that was set to close.

“Dewy got really involved and wanted to save that wall. They actually cut the wall out to preserve these names. And at that time, he came up with the idea of putting an engraved stone in our Veterans Memorial Park and have everybody’s names engraved on it,” Swinward said. 

Through research, local historian Charlotte Cameron confirmed the names and uncovered more.

Upton fundraised for the project, had the plaque created and found a designer for the concrete pedestal. Swinyard said that Upton, as an advisory council member, brought up the effort at meetings and asked for donations.

However, on Nov. 3, 2023, Upton died at the age of 81.

Upton’s sudden death galvanized community members and government organizations to collaborate on finishing the project.

“And so it kind of became the community project, like ‘Let’s get this done for him,’” Swinyard said.

Swinyard said the park’s owner, Housing Authority of the County of San Joaquin, increased park maintenance and put in lights and security cameras. The housing authority and San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding contributed to the pedestal’s construction.

In addition, the housing authority plans to install a plaque that recounts the work Upton put into making the memorial a reality. The second plaque testifies to Upton’s “perseverance and devotion to honoring Thornton’s veterans.”

Veterans and the general public are invited to the dedication ceremony on July 20, which will feature a color guard and singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” A military member will speak about veterans and another speaker will describe the project’s history.

Afterward, veteran-focused A-Z Foundation will host a lunch for service members and first responders.

“We’re a very small community and there’ve been a lot of people that have served,” Swinyard said when asked about the significance of memorializing the service members. 

Upton was a Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War. His name is the final entry on the plaque.

“We don’t live in a town where you can see your neighbor across the street and just house after house,” Swinyard said. “We’re separated by property, and the only way that you really see your neighbors is when there’s either events going on or some common project that we can work on, and this was something that really brought to the forefront how many veterans from our small community actually have served, and some of those families are still here today.”