The bronze Mormon Battalion Monument in Presidio Park

The Mormon Battalion Monument stands in Presidio Park, San Diego, California, representing the archetypal member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who served in the United States Army's Mormon Battalion during the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848. The Sons of Utah Pioneers commissioned the statue as a gift to the City of San Diego. It cost $18,000 to construct and was designed by Utah sculptor Edward J. Fraughton and cast in Italy.

The statue depicts a male infantryman seen standing, dressed in a western style hat and moccasin shoes. He carries the Book of Mormon in his left hand and holds a rifle over his right shoulder. He has a canteen slung across his chest and wears a backpack with a bedroll, which has a Bible stuffed in its pocket. Fraughton described the figure as a man of power and strength, maturity and youth, who is not involved in himself but looking into the future.

The monument was dedicated on November 22, 1969, and was attended by 200 Mormon and Sons of Utah Pioneers members. Hugh B. Brown, the grandson of a Mormon Battalion veteran, gave a speech in which he reminded the audience that Brigham Young, the LDS Church's second president, had praised the battalion. Words of congratulation from President Richard Nixon, California Governor Ronald Reagan and Utah Governor Cal Rampton were read out loud during the ceremony, which ended with a concert by the United States Marine Band.

This monument serves as a memorial to the members of the battalion. For more information on the history of the area, the Mormon Battalion Historic Site is also a point of interest.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons