1. 64 February 2017 | Stone World
M
ichael L. Emerson wanted
to create a memorial that
would honor and remember
all of the heroes of 9/11, along with
firefighters and police, and the
veterans from the Hayward, CA, area
that have been killed in the line of duty.
On April 25, 2013, Emerson took his
plans to the Hayward City Planning
Commission, asking them for their
support and recommendation for the
design and location of the memorial.
It was approved that day and sent to
city council, which later approved it on
September 4th of the same year.
Emerson, the project’s originator,
founder, designer, donation collector
and project building manager, initially
reached out to M.O. Bohrer, the sales
and marketing manager of Anderson
Bros. & Johnson (AB&J)/Michels
Honoring and remembering
the heroes of 9/11
Wausau Red granite was used to build a memorial
to remember 9/11, the first responders and all veterans
from Hayward, CA, who lost their lives in action
by Jason Kamery
A 9/11 memorial was built out of Wausau Red granite and Premium Plus black
granite in Hayward, CA, to remember the first responders, firefighters, police
and veterans of the community who lost their lives in the line of duty.
BUILDING STONE

2. 66 February 2017 | Stone World
Corporation, located in Brownsville,
WI, as Emerson had Wausau Red
granite in mind for the design of the
memorial. Working in partnership with
Bohrer, they were able to decide on a
thermal/flamed finish for the exposed
surfaces of the stone. This is opposed
to the typical polished finish that is
often applied to granite. The texture of
the stone added an interest to the ele-
ments, while providing a nice contrast
in both color and gloss to the Premium
Plus black granite supplied by M S
International, this is the same granite
that was used for the National Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
As one of the oldest continuously
operated mining companies in the
U.S., Anderson Bros. & Johnson has
been providing material to the mar-
ket since 1895. Located approximately
200 miles east of the Twin Cities in
Wausau, WI, the company’s red gran-
ite was designated the “Wisconsin
State Stone” in 1971. Anderson Bros. &
Johnson fabricated the red granite for
the project as well.
“As the only deep red granite found
in North America, AB&J provides sev-
eral products to the market, including
crushed stone, decorative stone, rip rap
and armor stone for shoreline protec-
tion, building and landscape stone and
monumental stone,” said Tom Ellias,
general manager of AB&J. “Granite
blocks and slabs are shipped to fabrica-
tors that produce headstones, markers,
mausoleums and other specialty prod-
ucts.” The material can be sourced
in infinite sizes and formats. It can
also accept several different textures;
allowing the artist to utilize polished,
thermal, sandblasted and other finish-
es in order to bring their concept to life.
Five red granite blocks were select-
ed and shaped for the project. “I chose
the Wausau Red because of my expe-
rience working with it previously on
the Flight 93 Memorial in Union City,
CA,” said Emerson. “The stone is of
impeccable quality, and is a long stand-
ing staple of the monument industry.”
The memorial is anchored by a gran-
ite flagpole base that is 4.5 feet tall x 3
feet wide x 3 feet thick and weighs in
excess of 7,000 pounds. Surrounding
the central focal point are six benches.
A thermal/flamed finish for the exposed surfaces of the stone was
chosen to add texture to the stone pieces.
In total, approximately 22,000
pounds of Wausau Red
was sourced for the project.
The overall footprint of the
monument is 1,360 square feet.

3. 68 February 2017 | Stone World
The 19-inch-high pieces are 5 feet long
x 2 feet wide and weigh 2,500 pounds
each. In total, approximately 22,000
pounds of Wausau Red was sourced for
the project. The overall footprint of the
monument is 1,360 square feet.
Emerson’s previous experience and
success in using Wausau Red, as well as
his strong relationship with the Michels
Corporation, made the selection process
an easy one. He worked directly with
Bohrer and Ellias to arrive at the correct
sizing and texture for the blocks.
“The project was funded com-
pletely by local donors and in-kind
donations, such as labor, materials,
etc.,” said Emerson. “Adhering to the
budget was key to the project’s ulti-
mate success. As such, each decision
required a great deal of exploration
and thought in order to sustain the
available funds throughout the memo-
rial’s completion.”
Completed on Memorial Day, May
30th of 2016, the city of Hayward fell
absolutely in love with this addition
to their community. Hayward Mayor
Barbara Halliday considers the memo-
rial to be a major achievement of her city
council and cites it as the greatest accom-
plishment of her term in office. Many
of those involved see the Hayward 9/11
memorial as part of their own personal
legacy. “Obviously, we are very proud
to be part of the Hayward 9/11 memo-
rial,” said Bohrer. “As the premier
granite and being quarried here in the
U.S., it was only fitting that a memo-
rial to honor the heroes of 9/11 and the
Hayward community use our Wausau
Red granite.” It is evident that every-
one’s efforts are focused on one primary
message; never forget the heroes of 9/11,
always remember our first respond-
ers, and honor those who have
fallenwhiledefendingourgreatnation. K
Five red granite blocks were selected
and shaped for the project. “I chose the
Wausau Red because of my experience
working with it previously on the
Flight 93 Memorial in Union City, CA,”
said Michael L. Emerson, the project’s
originator, founder, designer, donation
collector and project building manager.
Emerson (left) and M.O. Bohrer, the sales
and marketing manager of Anderson Bros.
& Johnson (AB&J)/Michels Corporation,
the stone supplier and fabricator for the
project, were present for the memorial’s
dedication ceremony.
Hayward 9/11 War
Memorial
Hayward, CA
Stone Supplier: Michaels
Corporation, Brownsville, WI
(Wausau Red granite);
M S International, Orange, CA
(Premium Plus black granite)
Fabricator: Anderson Bros. &
Johnson, Wausau, WI (Wausau
Red granite)