A shining light atop Mount Greylock, the state’s highest peak, the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Tower has achieved a new lofty status.
The 93-foot-tall monument, whose illuminated beacon is visible from four states, has been designated as a World War I Centennial Memorial by the US World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago.
The tower is one of 100 memorials chosen nationally to commemorate the 100th anniversary of America’s involvement in the “Great War.’’ It’s panning lights can be seen, in addition to Massachusetts, from New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, officials said.
Colonel Jennifer Pritzker, founder of the museum, joined state officials last week to unveil a plaque at the memorial at Mount Greylock State Reservation in Adams. The site is run by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
A $2,000 grant was also presented to help maintain the memorial, which last year underwent a $2.6 million renovation, according to a statement from Governor Charlie Baker’s office.
“We have a proud tradition to lead the nation when it comes to providing the community with benefits and services to veterans and their families, even long before WWI,’’ said Francisco Urena, the state’s secretary of veterans’ services.
“It’s such an impressive sight to see as a warrior and combat veteran,’’ added Urena, who served as a tank commander in Iraq for the US Marine Corps. “The memorial is in such a pristine place in the mountain air. It’s a place of peace and calmness.’’
Under overcast skies, the granite tower at first appeared to be hidden in the clouds. But, Urena recalled, the clouds parted just as DCR Commissioner Leo Roy read an inscription engraved on the tower: “Erected by Massachusetts in Grateful Recognition of the Loyalty and Sacrifice of Her Sons and Daughters In War. They Were Grateful Even Unto Death.’’
Several other Massachusetts memorials have been selected for the designation, according to the commission’s website. They are:
■ Godfrey Triangle WWI Monument, in Springfield.
■ Memorial Grove at Green Hill Park, in Worcester.
■ Wellesley Memorial Grove, in Wellesley Hills.
■ Harvard World War I Monument, in Harvard.
Katie Camero can be reached at katie.camero@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @camerokt_.
