Over the last century, hundreds of Valley men and women have left their homes and families to serve their country. Fifty paid the ultimate price, dying in service to their country.

Now, members of the Valley’s veterans organizations and other groups are working to build a new memorial in Snoqualmie, honoring all who have given their lives for their country, as well as all veterans who have served in the nation’s wars.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new memorial is planned for 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the Renton Pickering American Legion Post 79, at the intersection of River and Maple streets in downtown Snoqualmie.

Following the ceremony, a reception and dinner is planned for 5:30 p.m. at the Sno-Valley Eagles hall. Dinner is free to veterans, $8.50 for non-veterans.

The new memorial brings together all Valley veterans.

Currently, there’s no single place to do that, Legion Post Commander Steve Fenton said.

“On Memorial Day, we go to three different cemeteries and the high school,” he said. “But there’s not one focus anywhere.”

The Valley Veterans Memorial Committee is working with the city though the design and fundraising stage for the memorial. Names of the fallen will be engraved on a monument at the memorial.

The surrounding courtyard will be paved with memorial bricks, and there will be a stand of flags and a seating area for reflection.

Cristy Lake, a committee member and assistant director of the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum, pored through historical sources to seek out names of vets for the memorial. Now, it’s time for any veterans of families to come forward.

“We’d love to have additional names,” she said.

Bricks honoring veterans are available for purchase at www.post79.org, and at the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum. Cost is $100. All proceeds go toward the building of the monument.

To learn more about the memorial, or to add the name of a veteran, e-mail to Cristy Lake at lakecristy@yahoo.com, or call the historical museum at (425) 888-3200.

Veterans Day this year marks the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I.