Quincy Proudly Supports Veterans with Motorcycle Tour of Honor
Plumas County Veterans Memorial is one of seven locations in California to be included in the 2023 Tour of Honor nationwide charity fundraiser.
Tour of Honor is a great reason to hit the open road, honor our nation's heroes, and contribute to a few good charities. The event is a season-long, self-directed motorcycle ride to memorials and monuments around the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. Beginning April 1st, visit as many sites as you want, with any route you choose. Trophies will be awarded to the first three riders to visit all of the memorials in a state (or region). Other prizes are also available. 2023 has an all-new, updated set of memorial sites to visit, with new roads and new experiences for any avid motorcyclist. This year the focus is paying a special tribute to honor all Vietnam War and Vietnam-era veterans and their families.
A banner welcoming the motorcycle tour was placed at Dame Shirley Plaza by Quincy Chamber of Commerce and Feather River College. The location of the Quincy site is at the Plumas County Veterans Memorial dedicated to all veterans, especially the ones from Plumas County who made the ultimate sacrifice and whose names are engraved on the tablets. The granite monument contains an honor roll on one side and tributes on the other.
Robert Zernich, local attorney and Vietnam Era veteran was the inspiration behind this memorial. In 2006, he single-handedly organized the community to get the memorial and its site approved by the Board of Supervisors. Local volunteers, including Rob Conover of Sandstorm Signs stone engraving company, provided all of the labor and equipment to design and create the memorial. It was approved at a VFW meeting, and took only four months from conception to dedication. Approximately $17,000 was fundraised through private donors for material costs. Mike Beatty of Beatty Construction and Tom Vaglivielo of Sierra Concrete prepared the corner. The concrete for the base and sidewalks was donated by Gary Durr and the Quincy Elks Lodge donated the flagpole. During the building process, help was provided by Stan Diamond who was the VFW post commander at the time and who has since deceased from his action in Viet Nam.
Mr. Zernich maintains the memorial and every Memorial Day organizes a ceremony at the site, at which veterans and locals are invited to speak. Tour of Honor riders have participated in this ceremony several times. Each year the public donates flowers and other decorations. The public is encouraged to provide comments and suggestions to choose a new theme for the ceremony each year. There is currently talk about building a new courthouse in this park, but if that plan moves forward, the memorial is planned to be incorporated in the new design.
We appreciate the opportunity to share this information about a special historical landmark in our community. Thank you to Mr. Zernich for your leadership in this monument. Welcome Tour of Honor riders to this tourist attraction and enjoy your visit in Quincy, California. Feel free to send us photos of your site visit here and a description of how far you are traveling from!
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