Like millions of Americans, residents from San Benito County
will honor our beloved veterans on Monday, when we celebrate
Memorial Day.
Like millions of Americans, residents from San Benito County will honor our beloved veterans on Monday, when we celebrate Memorial Day. We will remember the sacrifices made by the brave men and women killed in action and by the many other veterans who are no longer with us. Sadly, this year we will add new names to the list of fallen heroes; those who have been lost in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan. Indeed, we have lost 800 American military personnel due to the war on terrorism.
On Memorial Day, the streets and roads of San Benito County will be lined with American flags, and special services will be held in cemeteries in San Juan Bautista, Hollister and throughout the county. Speakers will recall the heroic deeds of brave men and women now long gone. Taps will be played. Proud veterans will shed a tear for their departed comrades. Children will wave the U.S. flag. Honor guards will perform, and countless eulogies will be delivered on behalf of soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and all the others who died on behalf of the United States of America.
The price of freedom has never been cheap, and none know it better than the millions of patriotic men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. None have paid more dearly for it than the hundreds of thousands who did not come home to their families. We pay tribute on Memorial Day to the hardships and sacrifices that were demanded and accepted by those who served, and we honor their families as well. We want the survivors to know that their service is not forgotten, that we understand and remember that the foundations of American independence and freedom were built and preserved by these brave heroes.
On this day, let us remember the core values of veterans: honor, courage, duty and country. It is a deep and abiding belief in these core values that can turn an ordinary citizen into a hero: on the battlefield, upon the sea and in the air. On Memorial Day, proud Americans will set aside time to remember that due to the bravery of these men and women, we enjoy freedom, liberty and the right to pursue happiness.
In keeping with tradition, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hollister Post 9242 and San Juan Bautista Post 6309 will decorate the graves of our local heroes with flowers and wreaths as a symbol of our lasting gratitude. Around noon, the community, as in years past, is invited to attend a Memorial Day ceremony and barbecue at the Veterans Memorial Building in Hollister.
In closing, I encourage all veterans, and those who honor them, to attend a special World War II dedication at the Veterans Memorial Building on Saturday May 29, 2004 at 11 a.m., followed by a barbecue from noon until 3 p.m. Hosted by the American Legion Post 69, this event will coincide with the unveiling of the World War II memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. This special memorial will honor the 16 million men and women who served, and the 408,306 who died, defending our American way of life – a group of men and women who came to be known as “The Greatest Generation.” It is important that we in the 28th Assembly District join in this effort to say “thank you” to America’s World War II generation.
Simon Salinas represents the 28th Assembly District, which includes San Benito County
