FOR MANY WHO FELL; PANEL ACTING ON A VISION.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

When the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall exhibit visited Los Angeles County this summer, Vera Johnson sat in her car for three hours before getting out to see it.

Her son, Mark, had served in Vietnam and later died from complications he suffered after returning home.

A later trip to the memorial in Washington, D.C., was an equally emotional, yet peaceful, experience that continues to motivate her and her husband, Warren, as they pursue plans to build a memorial park here in Santa Clarita to honor all war veterans.

Their vision - previously stalled when land eyed in Newhall proved unaffordable - now is within reach as county and city officials work with the Historical Veterans Memorial Committee, which the Johnsons formed, to build a veterans memorial outside the Municipal Courthouse in Valencia.

Tentatively named the Military Court of Honor, the project would renovate an unused reflection pond on county property and beautify its neglected landscape with flowers, park benches, a manicured landscape, American flag and sculpted monument.

The Johnsons hope the new monument would bring some peace to local families of deceased veterans, as well as to men and women who served their country throughout the century, Vera Johnson said Thursday.

``It hits you in your heart,'' she said. ``For me, my life has been touched by three wars.''

Johnson was a teen when her fiance was killed in action during a World War II bombing mission, she said. Her husband did a tour in Korea.

``My husband got the idea during the Gulf War,'' recalled Johnson. ``He wanted the soldiers to get a warm welcome home. It really bothered him that the Vietnam vets were treated so poorly when they came home.''

Although a memorial for Vietnam veterans and prisoners of war is located at the Eternal Valley Memorial Park Mortuary, none in Santa Clarita exists on public property and none represents veterans of all wars.

County officials are allowing the committee to pursue the project, but would have to OK designs before giving final approval, said Mayor Jo Anne Darcy, also the field representative to county Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

Otherwise, Antonovich is very interested in the project, she said, as it would honor all veterans and the government center would be an appropriate setting.

Besides its central location in the city, she noted that the county courthouse site already offers plenty of parking and ample room for the veterans memorial and to hold ceremonial gatherings.

``We're thrilled,'' said city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz. ``It's a great site and will look great once it's cleaned up.''

The city assisted the committee in finding a home for the memorial since Warren Johnson first proposed it in 1991, but plans were delayed when the committee had difficulties raising funds. Other sites previously considered for the memorial park included the city's Canyon Country Park and Central Park in Saugus, as well as a privately owned parcel in Newhall, officials said.

Warren Johnson initially designed and proposed the memorial park with a small, triangle-shaped plot in Newhall in mind, but plans were abandoned when its $250,000 selling price proved too steep, officials said.

Use of the county land will help to offset costs, but the Veterans Memorial Committee will have to raise funds to renovate and landscape the reflection pool court yard, as well as sculpt the veterans memorial, said Vera Johnson.

The project's foreseen cost has not been determined yet, she said, as Warren Johnson is working with state veteran officials to redesign his earlier prototype of the monument to fit the new site.

The Parks Department several years ago committed up to $40,000 in matching funds toward the project, officials said.

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Photo: (color) A committee is working to put a veterans memorial here in the Valencia civic center courtyard.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer