Commentary: WWI cannon serves as a reminder of war and community service

I am writing to you about the article written about the WWI cannon that I restored for my Eagle Scout project. My family and some residents of Costa Mesa contacted me about the article written by Susan Hoffman (WWI-era cannon displayed at Costa Mesa police substation worries some about message it could convey, Daily Pilot, Aug. 18), many voicing concerns that the cannon would be removed, destroyed or defaced. I read through Hoffman’s article, and I do not see anger or malice in her words, or those of Rev. Voorhees, but I do see a different perspective of an object that myself and many members of this community have come to admire.

In 2014 I started looking for a project that I would complete for my Eagle Scout project that met certain requirements. As stated in the Scout Handbook, the project “is the opportunity ... to demonstrate leadership of others while performing a project for the benefit of their community.” Being the son of a 21-year veteran Costa Mesa Police officer, grandson of a West Point graduate and retired Army Officer, great-grandson of a U.S. Navy veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor and looking to join the U.S. Army as an ROTC cadet, I wanted to find a project that would benefit our veteran community. My father suggested that I look at restoring a cannon in Costa Mesa located in front of a veteran’s hall, police substation, and near a public park. At first, I was hesitant as I had not attempted anything like this before, but when I visited the cannon, I felt a wave of emotions. I felt anger to see the cannon in its state at the time, with a hedge overgrowing it, wheels decaying and rust growing all over it. I felt sadness to see a symbol of our military sitting unappreciated, like many of our veterans. But the strongest feeling I felt was reverence; that this task would not only give respect to the community of Costa Mesa, give respect to our veterans, respect to all who currently serve, but it would make someone stop and think about what the cannon stood for.

The project took four years to complete: 516 volunteer hours from Troop 615, $5,000 of donated funds, material support from Quikrete, restoration information from Watervliet Arsenal in New York, and many, many dedicated hours of support with my family to complete this monumental task. The project involved removing the cannon from the planter, stripping the old paint away, priming and repainting the cannon to its original color, repairing both wooden wheels with parts from Ohio, patching metal holes, clearing out the planter of the hedge and redirecting sprinklers, and placing the cannon back on a concrete pad (before it was left to sit in the dirt) donated by Quikrete. The project was plagued with logistical issues such as locating replacement wood wheel parts, removing rust to open parts, moving and storage (donated by Quikrete again), assembly without instructions or trained personnel, and paperwork associated with all of it. But when completed the cannon looked cared for and respected.

A few key moments stood out to me with this project that I wanted to express to you and everyone who reads about this cannon. First, this project was completed with the help of the community of Costa Mesa. Donations for the project came in from all over the city; from private residences, the Costa Mesa Police Assn., Quikrete, and volunteer hours given by community members. Without the community this project would not have been completed.

When the cannon was being removed, I had many residents walking by, much like what happened with Hoffman, that were concerned the cannon was being taken away or wanted to know how to keep the cannon where it was. One person stood out to me: A homeless man walked up and said that he remembers being a child and playing on the cannon, that he is glad that someone is finally taking care of it. When the cannon was gone for those four years, I received emails asking where the cannon was and when it would be back, many wanting to donate to see it restored. The cannon is a part of the community just as Lions Park’s planes are a part of it, and the community showed that ownership over those four years.

Second, when I was researching information about the cannon I learned about its long, honored past. The cannon was made in the Watervliet Arsenal in Watervliet, N.Y. The arsenal is still in active use today and still supplies our soldiers, being the oldest active arsenal in the United States. The cannon is the 214th cannon for the 1905 model, 3-inch field gun. The model was the first U.S. field gun to incorporate a recoil mechanism and the first to incorporate an armored shield. The field gun was brought along with Gen. Pershing during the Mexican Punitive Expedition but never used. It was also used to train U.S. servicemen before they went to France in WWI. The cannon was originally placed in front of the Costa Mesa Legion Hall in 1948 but moved to its current location in 1989 where it sits today.

Third and finally, when I look at the cannon now, I think of all the people who were a part of my life that helped complete this project. My grandfather, an aerospace engineer, stands out particularly because of how much he cared. My grandfather was close to 80 years old at the time, retired for many years and living happily at home in Westminster. But when he heard that I was working on restoring a cannon for a veteran’s hall, he drove down to help without thought. He worked side by side with younger Scouts and helped clear out the planter, move the cannon, paint and assemble parts. He worked with a smile and ethic that I replicate to this day.

Unfortunately, my grandfather passed in 2020 due to complications due to age. My Eagle project adviser, who helped me with getting forms filled out and processing paperwork for many months who taught me the importance of doing it right the first time, also passed in 2020 due to health complications. I think about the Scouts who helped me, many who are now parents or even part of the military. I think about the community members who donated, some who I believe have passed as well. And I think about all the soldiers who served with this cannon and the soldiers today who still serve.

To me, this cannon is not a symbol of, “force in this day and age,” as mentioned in the second paragraph of Hoffman’s article, but a symbol of remembrance. It is a symbol of a community coming together to help a young boy complete a project. It is a symbol of a family history of service. It is a symbol of difficulties overcome. It is a symbol of those not with us anymore. But most importantly, it is a reminder of all who served and are serving in our military. When someone looks at the cannon, I want them to think about the history of the cannon. The good and bad, where it came from and where it is now, and all who served alongside it. It stands as a reminder, lest we forget.

Eagle Scout Brenden Fettis is a Community Service Leader III at the city of Irvine.

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