COLUSA, CA (MPG) – The Colusa County Veterans Wall marked another milestone on Veterans Day as the community gathered at Veterans Memorial Park to honor those who served and to dedicate new names on the growing monument.
The wall, first dedicated on Veterans Day 2014, began as a two-year project with more than 400 names of Colusa County men and women who served in the armed forces. On Nov. 11, 2025, organizers reported that 1,273 names have now been dedicated with the induction of the tenth wall.
About 100 people attended the morning ceremony, which included a color guard by local Girl Scouts and a program centered on both remembrance and gratitude.
“We have had enough bricks have been purchased to complete wall nine and fill almost half of wall ten,” said Veterans of Foreign Wars member Dennis Sanders. “Our sculptured panel on the back of wall nine is completed and installed.”
Sanders said the veterans group has started the artwork for the sculpted panel for the tenth wall. They also launched a fundraising effort for two life-size bronze statues that would stand at both corners of the flag island facing Market Street.
“As always, we want to thank the community for their support as it continues to allow improvements and beautify this park for all our veterans,” Sanders said.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was U.S. Navy veteran retired Senior Chief Dwayne Nokes.
Each Veterans Day, Nokes said, the country pauses to remember those who served “in peace and war, at home and overseas, on land, at sea, and in the air.”
He spoke of shipmates, brothers and sisters in arms, and “those who stood beside us through the long deployments, rough seas, and moments when courage was the only option.”
Nokes also urged the crowd to recognize the quiet sacrifices of military families who endure long absences and uncertainty, and he asked young people to consider how they might serve, whether in uniform or in their communities.
“The values that built our military, honor, courage, and commitment, are not just military words,” Nokes said. “They are American words. They are the foundation of strong communities, responsible citizens, and future leaders.”