The Beacon on Mount Diablo was originally installed and illuminated in 1928 to aid in transcontinental aviation. It is one of the four guiding beacons installed along the West Coast by Standard Oil of California and is the only one known to still be operational.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Beacon’s light was extinguished during the West Coast blackout, for fear it could enable an attack on California.
It stayed dark until Pearl Harbor Day in 1964, when Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of Pacific Forces during World War II, relit the Beacon in a commemorative ceremony and suggested it be illuminated every December 7th to honor those who served and sacrificed.
Since that day, Pearl Harbor veterans and their families have gathered every December 7th to see the Beacon light shine once again.
The Beacon now shines brighter than ever since it underwent an extensive restoration process in 2013 (thanks to a campaign led by Save Mount Diablo) to ensure it continues to shine for many more years.
The Pearl Harbor Survivors now know that the Beacon will shine long after they are gone.
The Beacon is lit at sunset and shines all night on this evening each year. Beginning in 2022, it is also lit on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
On Sunday, April 11, 2021, Save Mount Diablo concluded a year of lighting the Beacon weekly to bring light and hope to our region during the worst of the pandemic.
Save Mount Diablo has restored, maintained, and operated the Mount Diablo’s Summit Beacon, the Eye of Diablo for many years, and the organization is grateful to provide this service to our communities despite the time and cost involved.
About Save Mount Diablo
Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited nonprofit land trust founded in 1971. Our mission is to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, and watersheds; and its sustaining Diablo Range, through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit https://www.savemountdiablo.org/.
SUMMARY
What: Save Mount Diablo; the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Chapter 5; and California State Parks will light the “Eye of Diablo,” the Beacon atop Mount Diablo to memorialize National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. As the number of survivors has decreased over the years, the number of people attending the ceremony in honor of these heroes has increased, including many sons and daughters vital to organizing the service.
When: Saturday, December 7, 2024
USS Arizona viewing begins at 3:00 PM, ceremony at 3:45 PM, Beacon lighting at 5:00 PM
Where: The ceremony will be held at the California State University, East Bay Concord Center, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road, in Concord.
Directions: http://goo.gl/maps/jXhcW
Access: Parking is available, and parking fees will be waived for this event. See map.
For more information on the Beacon:
https://savemountdiablo.org/experience/events-outings/beacon-lighting/
Photo: Mount Diablo Summit Beacon, the “Eye of Diablo,” by Stephen Joseph. Additional high-resolution photos of the Beacon and the Pearl Harbor Survivors are available upon request by contacting lkindsvater@savemountdiablo.org.
Media Contacts:
Ted Clement, Executive Director, Save Mount Diablo
P: 925-947-3535, C: 925-451-8108, email: tclement@savemountdiablo.org
Personal Note: I was 7 years old in the Philippines when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. It was a day, I will always remember.
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