A Monument to Courage at Lands End

In the early hours of November 13, 1942, in the black waters off Guadalcanal, the USS San Francisco (CA-38) was locked in one of the fiercest naval battles of World War II.
The ship took 45 direct hits, her decks engulfed in fire, her bridge shattered. Nearly 100 sailors and seven Marines were killed in action — including both her admiral and her captain — yet her crew fought on.
Battered but unbroken, the San Francisco limped back to Pearl Harbor under her own power. Her courage became legend.

When she returned home, the battle-scarred bridge wings — the twisted, shrapnel-pocked steel from which officers gave orders that night — were removed during repairs.
In 1950, those very pieces were brought here to the bluffs at Lands End, overlooking the Pacific and the Golden Gate, and dedicated as a memorial to her fallen crew.
They stand today — 75 years later — facing the same ocean they once sailed, a silent witness to courage, sacrifice, and the price of freedom.

But Time and Weather Have Taken Their Toll.

Salt air and storms have eroded the stonework, darkened the plaques, and weakened the metal fragments that bear the scars of battle. Without restoration, this powerful monument — a living link to the men who fought and died aboard the San Francisco — risks permanent loss.

The USS San Francisco Memorial Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is leading a campaign to raise $50,000 to restore and preserve this sacred site. Your donation will directly fund cleaning, repair, and long-term maintenance to ensure that this memorial endures for generations to come.

This Year Marks the 75th Anniversary of the Memorial

November 12, 1950 hundreds gathered to dedicate the memorial to those brave men and their ship — a milestone that reminds us that history, if untended, fades.

Help us honor these heroes by keeping their memory alive at Lands End, so future generations can learn the history of sacrifice for your country and its people.