Coachella Valley Cemetery - Indio, CA
N 33° 40.250 W 116° 13.077
11S E 572499 N 3725933
The Coachella Valley Cemetery is located on Jackson St and 52nd Ave, just south of Indio, CA.
Waymark Code: WMGWQV
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 04/17/2013
Views: 3
The Coachella Valley Public Cemetery is a large, well-manicured cemetery with a large number of graves spread out across the property. In the heart of the cemetery lies the Veterans Remembrance Memorial which is dedicated to all those who have served to protect our freedoms in wars from 1775 through 1991. The courtyard contains three walls, two of which represent the 'Wall of Honor' of military members with ties to Riverside County and the third wall, the 'Ultimate Sacrifice' representing military members from Riverside County who lost their lives protecting our freedoms from various wars. One of the 'Wall of Honor' walls is dedicated to six individuals from Riverside County who received the military's highest award for valor: the Congressional Medal of Honor (these six individuals are also honored at another 'Walk of Honor'
memorial in Indian Wells).
This cemetery contains graves of a few notable individuals (I found this out later), two of which stand out: Frank Capra, a well-known film director during the 1930s and 1940s, and Jacqueline Cochran, a female aviator and the first woman in the world to break the sound barrier and who established the WASP program for women (there's a monument in her honor located at the Jacque Cochran Airport here).
I walked around the mausoleum that lies to the east of the Veterans Remembrance Memorial and noticed very old grave sites and would assume this part of the cemetery contains the original grave sites and have spread out from this area. Overall, I'd have to guess that there are at least 8,000 graves here, not including those interred in the mausoleum.
This cemetery is definitely worth the visit, even if only to visit the wonderful tribute to the Armed Forces at the Veterans Remembrance Memorial.