Sunshine and a clear sky blessed the day as hundreds of local
veterans and residents turned out Monday to honor veterans who have
passed away and ruminate on the sacrifices made by those who have
donned the country’s military uniforms.
Hollister – Sunshine and a clear sky blessed the day as hundreds of local veterans and residents turned out Monday to honor veterans who have passed away and ruminate on the sacrifices made by those who have donned the country’s military uniforms.
More than 100 people filed into local cemeteries on Memorial Day to honor the sacrifice made by those who have fallen in combat. Some remembered their husbands, others their fathers, but all saluted their courage and sacrifice. While there was a marching band and military salutes, there was also a sense of fun as family members ate barbecued chicken at the Veterans Memorial Building following the day of solemn ceremonies.
“We remember those who went before us,” said Hollister Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Charlie Scott, who presided over the day’s ceremonies.
The day started early for members of local VFW chapters. They were out at 5:30am placing American flags in cemeteries in San Juan Bautista and Hollister and later in the morning they conducted ceremonies at the same cemeteries. Veterans in San Benito County have been participating in similar Memorial Day ceremonies for more than half a century.
At 9am, members from local VFW and American Legion chapters gathered at the cemetery in San Juan Bautista and performed a memorial ceremony while more than 100 veterans and civilians watched. A colorguard made up of VFW, American Legion, Boy Scout and San Benito High School ROTC members marched into the cemetery as a band played “Our Director,” a marching tune.
When the band finished playing, a woman sang the national anthem, her voice ringing out through the clear morning.
Representatives from different military branches laid flowers and wreaths on the ground to memorialize those in the military who have died.
“On this day we forever consecrate our heroic dead,” said Scott, who presided over the ceremony. Then he ordered veterans in attendance to salute their fallen peers.
At the end the ceremony, seven VFW members shouldered rifles and broke the silence with a three volley rifle salute, after which a haunting rendition of “Taps” was played by two trumpeters. Then the band struck up with “Stars and Stripes Forever” as the colorguard marched away.
Similar ceremonies were held throughout the day at the IOOF Cemetery on Buena Vista Road and the Calvary Cemetery on Hillcrest Road. The events culminated at Veterans Memorial Building on San Benito Street where the ceremony was repeated for a final time and then attendees had the chance to dine on barbecued chicken.
“It’s our duty to respect those who we have lost,” said Ruth Gunnels, a member of the VFW women’s auxiliary. Her husband Earl, who passed away about a year ago, served in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Seeing so many civilians at the ceremonies paying tribute, “Makes me choke up,” said Fire Squad Commander Paul Arballo with the VFW.
Arballo, a Navy veteran, served in Vietnam before retiring from the service in 1975.
Honoring the men and women who fought and died for their country is important so Americans never forget the sacrifice that paid for their freedom, said Vince Luna, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam and is now a member of the American Legion.
“People still appreciate what the veterans did,” he said, “and the sacrifice of the veterans that didn’t come back.”
Debbie and Ernie Castillo with their four kids gathered at the cemetery in San Juan Bautista with more than 100 others Monday morning to pay respect to those in the military who have passed on. Debbie’s Castillo’s father Ed Salinas, a Korean War veteran and long-time Hollister resident who died 12 years ago, is buried in the San Juan Bautista Cemetery.
It was good to see so many people at the cemetery honoring the country’s fallen veterans, Debbie Castillo said. Her father rarely talked about his experience in the Korean War, she said, he just did his duty and then got back to life.
“We’ve come out ever since he passed away to take part in it and pay our respects,” she said. “We try to make it a family thing.”
Luke Roney covers politics and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@***********ws.com
