Preserving memories has been a common thread in recent Valley Record stories.

Last week, we met members of the Snoqualmie Valley Veteran’s Memorial Committee, who are spearheading a drive to build a new monument to those who served and sacrificed for their nation. The push for an all-Valley memorial started ramping up two years ago, but the desire for one special, public place dates back decades.

This week, our front page story catches up with the Fall City Historical Society’s local memory book efforts. Society members spent three years interviewing Lower Valley residents and have completed a thick tome full of memories of Fall City life, “Preserving Fall City’s Stories.”

Our lives and communities are always in transition. Yet the pages of the memory book and the stones and bricks of the veteran’s memorial provide a still point and concrete reminder, telling us about who came before, what they prized, and what they sacrificed. Both of these projects are helping connect the Valley’s past with its present.

With Veteran’s Day upon us, I urge Valley residents to reflect on their own memories of loved ones who have served our nation.

Tomorrow, please take a moment to think about the soldiers or servicepeople in your own life, and how they have affected you and the greater communities around us all.

If you would like to do something more tangible, consider attending the Veteran’s Memorial Foundation benefit dinner and auction, 3 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at the Fall City Roadhouse, 4200 Preston-Fall City Road. Tickets can be reserved at (425) 222-4800.

Beyond that, you can also get involved with the foundation itself. The group is considering a number of fundraising options, and if your family or group can help, reach out.

The most critical fundraiser for the monument is the foundation’s memorial brick sale. These sturdy blocks can be inscribed with the names and deeds of loved ones who served their nation, and will become part of the Snoqualmie plaza. Each brick speeds the monument toward completion, and preserves that memory in an important site for our community.

As they build momentum, Valley veteran’s groups hope to see completion of this important project in the next year. With your help, the flags will wave atop the foundation’s finished monument on Veteran’s Day, 2011.

As we connect with our memories, we must also preserve them. Each Valley community should take note of what the Fall City Historical Society has accomplished. Individuals spent years collecting tales of work and play, service and sacrifice, through good times and bad. Each interviewed family received a written record of their elders’ recollections, while the best stories were shared with the community.

If you’d like to meet the people behind “Preserving Fall City’s Stories,” consider attending a book launch party, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, at the Fall City Masonic Hall, 337th and 43rd Streets, Fall City.

Let’s keep these memories of local life, love and sacrifice alive around us.

• Contact Valley Record Editor Seth Truscott at editor@valleyrecord.com