Vietnam veteran Tony Santos and his business Greener Grounds Landscaping recently gained the contract for upkeep outside the Veterans Memorial Building.
His business handles such duties as maintaining shrubs, trees and lawns. When he started working on the grounds, Santos noticed a little, empty area in the front of the property along San Benito Street – and it sparked an idea.
“I decided, I want to plant some flowers here but I’m going to donate it,” said Santos, a longtime Hollister resident who has spent his fair share of time as a local volunteer coach as well.
He did more than add flowers. Santos had the flowers planted in the shape and color of an American flag. He placed them about a month ago and they are filling out just in time for the July 4 weekend.
“It’s just kind of a feel-good project for me,” Santos said from the project area Monday. “You have to give back.”
Santos reflected about the flower flag alongside friend Patty Brown, who joined him next to the display to chat about the service project after she informed the newspaper about the project. As they talked, several other residents walked by the arrangement and appeared surprised when they realized it was in the shape of a flag.
Brown said the flower arrangement “just kind of spruces up the front of the veterans building.”
“I just think it’s a sweet story, knowing he’s a veteran,” Brown said. “He’s new to doing the landscape and weekly maintenance there. I just think the veterans building looks so much nicer since he came on board.”
Santos said he plans to continue maintaining the flower display while adding and removing plants as time goes on. He expects to plant something else in the wintertime, he said.
Santos is a proud veteran and even took the opportunity to laud the care he has received from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As for the American Legion, which he plans to join soon, Santos said the organization is “so good to the veterans.”
