Mill Creek's Veterans Monument Has Room Again. The Names Come Next.

Chuck Wright has a memory of sitting on a bench at Mill Creek's memorial and watching a veteran and his grandchild take a rubbing of the veteran's name from one of the pillars. He told The Everett Herald at the October ribbon-cutting that the moment was the whole point: "That's what it's about. It passes history on. … It's also a way for veterans to be able to smile."

That rubbing only works if a name is carved into the stone. For about seven years, no veteran newly connected to the monument could have that moment, because the original columns ran out of room around 2019. The new basalt pillars at Library Park are now standing, lit, and surrounded by fresh benches and repaired paths. Right now they are smooth and empty, waiting for the first new names to be engraved.

Sixteen Years on Six Columns

The Veterans Monument was dedicated in May 2010. It has a courtyard of pavers around a central flagpole, six basalt columns, and native plantings in reds, whites, and blues. According to the City of Mill Creek's monument page, each name on the columns is engraved with rank and branch of service. The original monument was built with donations from Short, Cressman & Burgess, Clearview Nursery & Stone, NW Bloom, and Ness Cranes, along with volunteer hours from the Arts & Beautification Board and work by City staff.

The City's project page puts the last names on those columns at around 2019. After that, the monument could still be visited and honored, but it could no longer take new names.

Planning to fix that began in 2025. As the Herald reported, Wright, a Mill Creek resident and Vietnam War veteran, brought the idea to the City Council after seeing a Revolutionary War memorial on a trip to New England.

What the Fall Construction Delivered

By October 5, 2026, the City listed this work as complete, and its October announcement specified new tables and benches among the site furnishings:

• New basalt columns and improvements to the monument plaza
• Restored asphalt and concrete paths, plus ADA ramps
• New site furnishings, including tables and benches
• Park lighting, including light on the monument
• Lawn restoration and irrigation improvements
• Grading and drainage work, with protection measures for existing trees

The full Library Park project cost $860,260, paid for from three sources:

Outside grants covered more than half the cost. At the ribbon-cutting, the City credited State Sen. John Lovick and Snohomish County Councilmember Jared Mead with helping secure the state and county money. According to the Mill Creek Beacon, Mayor Stephanie Vignal said the pillars were finished on time and below budget, and more than 80 people attended the ceremony on Monday, Oct. 19.

The ribbon was cut by Councilmember Sean Paddock, Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Duque, State Rep. Brandy Donaghy, Sen. Lovick, Mayor Vignal, Councilmember Mead, and Councilmember Tannis Golebiewski. City Engineer Dan Carmody and Project Engineer Maryam Soltani thanked the veterans in the crowd, along with the Arts & Beautification and Park & Recreation boards, for their input. Lovick told the Herald, "This monument is an honor to the past and a gift to future generations." The City has posted photos from the ribbon-cutting for anyone who missed it.

The Pillars Are Built to Be Filled

One of the Herald's photos from that morning shows attendees reflected in the polished face of a new pillar. The caption notes that the pillar "will eventually be inscribed with the names of veterans." The new stone was cut for that purpose. The benches, lighting, and repaired paths make the plaza a better place to spend time, but the columns are what will change once names are added.

The City's application page says when submissions will open again:

"There is currently no additional space for names at this time. We will reopen the application process once the monument is able to be expanded."

That expansion now stands in the plaza, so the next step is reopening the application. Families who have waited since around 2019 to add a veteran's name can find the form on the City's Veterans Monument page once submissions open again. When names are added, the City's practice has been to engrave each one with rank and branch. Families can plan for that level of detail when they gather a veteran's service information.

Veterans Day Comes to the New Plaza

This year's Veterans Day is the first one held at the expanded monument. Back in August, we wrote about how the construction schedule was timed to finish ahead of this ceremony, and the work came in nearly four weeks before the October 31 deadline.

The City published this schedule for Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026:

1. Ceremony, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Veterans Monument in Library Park, 15429 Bothell Everett Hwy.
2. Parade, 11:00 a.m. to noon in Town Center at 15310 Main St., heading south on Main Street.

Parade-day traffic changes affect most of Town Center. Main Street between 148th Street S.E. and City Hall North is closed to parking from 10:30 a.m. to noon. 153rd Street S.E. closes to through traffic at 10:30 a.m. and reopens after the parade passes. The north L.A. Fitness lot closes at 8:00 a.m. for parade staging. The south lot stays open, but access in and out pauses once the parade starts at 11:00. Navy Federal Credit Union, Starbucks, and State Farm – Chris Jones are listed as event sponsors.

The City's parade invitation describes past entries such as classic-car groups carrying veteran riders, dance teams, marching bands, military vehicles, local businesses, schools, and volunteer organizations. The Veterans Day event page links to photo galleries from the 2025 ceremony and parade, and it carries the parade entry application for groups planning ahead.

The Corner of the Park Still Behind Fencing

The monument plaza and the main lawn are open. The Library Park playground is not. The City's project page says new play equipment is still waiting to be installed, with the playground, fencing, and gates expected to be finished in late 2026. In its October announcement, the City said a separate ribbon-cutting would follow once all the park improvements are done.

Library Park will reach two more milestones in the coming months. The playground ribbon-cutting is on the City's construction schedule. The first new names on the basalt pillars depend on the City reopening applications on its Veterans Monument page.

Becca Locke follows civic projects like Library Park closely because they shape everyday life in Mill Creek. If you'd like help keeping up with what's being built around Town Center, or a local perspective on what these projects mean for your corner of the city, Becca Locke is glad to talk it through. Start Your Search.