Veterans Day Observance draws crowd to Veterans Memorial Park
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: November 13, 2009
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times
Honoring those who served their country drew a crowd Wednesday to Veterans Memorial Park for the annual Mercer-Prieto Post 2043 observance that featured patriotic music and the traditional special salute to Santa Paulans who lost their life in war. The November 11th Veterans Day ceremony included patriotic music by the Santa Paula High School Band, led by Doug Kandansky, and the Isbell Middle School Condor Chorus directed by Donna Nelson.
VFW Post Commander Tim Santana welcomed the crowd and thanked Quartermaster/Adjutant Richard Ruiz, who “not only coordinates everything, but keeps us straight,” past Post Commander Jerry Olivas, the musical entertainment, and Soroptimist International of Santa Paula and President Barbara Kroon, who annual host the post-ceremony reception.
“A special thanks goes to our veterans present and the Korean War Veterans Association Ventura County Chapter 56” and Commander David Lopez. Santana noted next year a legal holiday would be established to commemorate the ending of the Korean War.
“Veterans Day is to honor all veterans, those who have served proudly in the military in both war and peace. “In Santa Paula,” Santana said, it has become a tradition to honor those area veterans who lost their life due to war with a special Roll Call of the names listed on the Veterans Memorial.
Santana introduced “Rey Frutos,” who “earned his stripes in battles of Vietnam,” who presented a history of Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day to recognize “The War to End All War,” World War I.
The holiday, said Frutos, was established in 1926 with the “idealistic hope” that World War I would indeed be the end of conflict, and if so the change to Veterans Day would not have occurred. But about a decade after the end of World War II, President Eisenhower and Congress renamed Armistice Day to “honor all those who served in all wars,” and with the hope peace would ultimately prevail.
“World War I ended” in 1918 at the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,” and this, said Frutos, “will never change.” Frutos ended his presentation by reading, “What is a Vet?” which urges all to remember veterans’ contributions and sacrifices.
“So remember,” read Frutos, “each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say ‘Thank you.’ That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot, ‘Thank you.’”
Starting the Roll Call service, Quartermaster/Adjutant Ruiz noted when the Veterans Memorial was built by the VFW, “We decided to make all” those whose names appear on the monument honorary members of Mercer-Prieto VFW Post 2043. The Roll Call started with the names of the 17 Santa Paulans being called out and Past Post Commander Carl Barringer answering “Here!” for each one.
Albino Pineda stood in for the 46 Santa Paulans who lost their life in World War II, and Ray Garcia answered for those 17 veterans who died in the Korean War. Bill Glenn answered “Here!” for the 13 Santa Paulans killed in Vietnam. Hernandez was a name called for World War I, World War II and Korea, reflecting generations of military service.
Following the Roll Call, Commanders Santana and Lopez placed wreaths at the Veterans and Korean War memorials, and the Rev. Joel Hortiales of El Buen Pastor United Methodist Church led the crowd in prayer. Veterans from both organizations presented the Rifle Squad Salute, and bugler Rudy Arellano played “Taps,” marking the end of the Veterans Day Observance ceremony.
Following the ceremony, veterans, their families and supporters visited during the SISP sponsored reception.
