The Story Behind the Story: Neil O'Connell and Trevor Wessman-Lavelle on 250 Years of Valor - Spotlight on The Community

We spend a lot of time talking about the men and women on our walls — their faces, their service, the lives they lived and the legacies they left behind. That is, and always will be, the heart of what we do at Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial.

But this time, we wanted to invite you inside the mission itself.

In our latest podcast episode with Drew Schlosberg's Spotlight on the Community, Executive Director Neil O'Connell and Marketing & Communications Director Trevor Wessman-Lavelle sit down for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what "250 Years of Valor" truly means — not just as a campaign, but as a commitment to ensuring that the American Story is protected, personal, and permanent.

A Mission That Goes Beyond the Walls

For 250 years, the American Story has been written by men and women from every background, every branch, and every era — bound together not by where they came from, but by a shared commitment to defend something larger than themselves. At Mt. Soledad, our job is to make sure that story is never reduced to a name on a list. It lives in faces. In biographies. In the granite that holds them both.

This episode explores what it takes to do that work at the scale of a national landmark — and what it means to do it during the most significant milestone in American history.

What Community Looks Like From 822 Feet

One of the most powerful things Neil and Trevor discuss is the breadth of community showing up for this mission right now. From students experiencing military history as a living classroom on our hillside, to San Diego's business and civic leaders finding new ways to align their values with something that will outlast all of us — the "250 Years of Valor" campaign has revealed just how wide and deep this community runs.

Record-breaking attendance. Growing education programs. Strategic expansion. And a renewed sense of purpose around what it means to honor veterans not just on designated days, but every day — permanently, visibly, and with intention.

For Leaders Who Want to Do More

If you're a civic or business leader looking for a way to align your organization's values with something meaningful — something that will be here long after the celebrations of 2026 have passed — this conversation is for you. Neil and Trevor explore exactly what that kind of intentional philanthropy and community partnership looks like at Mt. Soledad, and why this particular moment in American history creates an opportunity that won't come again.

Listen Where You Live

This is a conversation for anyone who believes that honoring veterans is not just an act of remembrance — but an act of intention.

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Honor. Above All.