Situated in the heart of Los Angeles is one of the largest military monuments in the country. It honors the United States soldiers of Fort Moore, including members of the Mormon Battalion.
Fort Moore was utilized during the Mexican-American War. Both Mexico and the United States had control of the site at different times. Much of the fort was built by members of the Mormon Battalion along with the U.S. 1st Dragoons.
The fort was dedicated on July 4, 1847. Shortly afterward, on July 16, the Mormon Battalion was formally reviewed and then discharged from its service by Lt. Andrew J. Smith.
Relatively few members of the battalion re-enlisted; most were anxious to find Brigham Young and other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints heading to Zion.
The fort was decommissioned within just a few years. The site was used for a variety of other purposes until the large memorial (45 feet by 400 feet) was built in 1957 and dedicated in 1958. The monument is the site of historical celebrations involving Latter-day Saints and other local residents.
Efforts to raise funds to restore the monument have been underway for a number of years. The hope is to restore a large water feature, improve parking and install additional interpretive signage to ensure that the monument remains as an impressive means to perpetuate the memory of meaningful history.