Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial Fountain Damaged in Car Collision

“Heads up, WeHo! The fountain at the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial was damaged last night in an automobile collision,” reads a story post on the City of West Hollywood’s official social media platforms. “It will b e temporarily out of service while crews assess damage and coordinate repairs. The Memorial’s green space and components honoring veterans all remain open to the community.

The Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial is another West Hollywood landmark that has been a casualty of a car collision. There are no details yet on the accident, or of any injuries sustained, but it appears a vehicle rode up the fountain and crashed into the center portion of the actual fountain. There is car debris still visible in the area. The outer layer is chipped and there is a scuff to the center that appears to be the print of a bumper. The fountain is dry but open. There is no yellow tape surrounding it indicating there is no risk of it collapsing.

A high-speed collision ended with a mangled BMW and a fractured Rocky and Bullwinkle statue on the Sunset Strip on July 24th. The sunset orange metallic BMW 840i Gran Coupe was a scrap metal after crashing and flipping on its side at the Sunset Boulevard and Holloway triangle intersection. The statue sustained a fractured pedestal and a crack to Bullwinkle’s foot.

According to a source, the One Love neon sign only steps away from the Sal Guarriello Veterans Memorial fountain also sustained damage due to a car collision, though this has not yet been confirmed. It is also believed the sign may have been damaged by vandals.

The Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial maximizes green space while incorporating components honoring veterans including four flagpoles, a row of shields commemorating the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, a dedication plaque and poetry quoted from former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.

Approximately 7,000 square feet of landscaping such as Redwood and Laurel trees, grasses and shrubs highlight the park, along with benches and decomposed granite walkways. A water feature element is currently under construction and reinforces the intended purpose of the Memorial as a place of honor and remembrance. The design of the Water Feature depicts the rising and falling of cascading water over the brim of an eight-foot tall inverted cone-shaped element into an awaiting water basin.

The design of the Sal Guarriello Veterans’ Memorial represents a collaboration of the City’s Veterans’ Memorial Task Force, the Fine Arts Commission and the design firm Campbell and Campbell Architects-Planners-Landscape Architects.

Salvatore Joseph “Sal” Guarriello (March 2, 1919 – April 16, 2009) was a member of the City Council of the City of West Hollywood, California. He was elected to the City Council in 1990, and reelected four times. He served four one-year terms as mayor. He was an advocate for West Hollywood residents, protected tenants of low-income housing, promoted West Hollywood’s businesses, and upheld public safety.