Though San Benito is a long way from New York City and the
Pentagon, two local ceremonies will commemorate the Sept. 11
tragedy around noontime that day. Groups in Hollister and San Juan
have both organized events that will include local veterans, fire,
law enforcement officers and Red Cross volunteers. Community
members are invited to attend.
Though San Benito is a long way from New York City and the Pentagon, two local ceremonies will commemorate the Sept. 11 tragedy around noontime that day.
Groups in Hollister and San Juan have both organized events that will include local veterans, fire, law enforcement officers and Red Cross volunteers. Community members are invited to attend.
“It’s something to recognize our local everyday heroes,” said Jesse Garza, the VFW Post 9242 commander. “They are the ones that go out and do their job daily. They are put in harm’s way every time they respond to a call. They do these things, yes as a career, but they love doing it.”
He acknowledged, too, that it is a day to remember the victims of the attacks ad the first responders who lost their lives.
“Besides dying at the scene, they had complications working in hazardous materials,” he said.
Garza, who worked in fire service for 33 years before retiring, said that he has a friend who was a fire captain in New York City when the attacks occurred.
“We talked for hours about what happened and how it happened,” Garza said. “He lost a whole bunch of guys. It was something that touched everyone in the fire service. They are back to full staffing, but to lose that many men at one time. You lose one or two, that’s bad enough, but to lose that many you are going to funerals every day.”
Garza said Charlie Scott, a former post commander for the local VFW will speak at the event, as will representatives of the local fire and police departments, and the American Red Cross.
Shannon German, of Central Coast Doves, enlisted Scott’s help in coordinating the ceremony. Last year, she released doves at Hollister Fire Station No. 2, as part of the White Wings Over America campaign. Groups around the state, including 11 in California and others in 23 states, will all release white doves at noon on Sept. 11.
“We put together a small memorial,” she said of the 2010 event. “Knowing that is was the 10-year anniversary and last year having some people in the community who wished they had known about it ahead of time, I sat down with my husband and we thought about contacting our local veterans to see if it is something they would like to participate in.”
Scott was immediately onboard and recruited other veterans to help. The ceremony will be held outside the Veterans Memorial Building and the American Legion Post No. 69 will be selling refreshments before and after the ceremony as a fundraiser.
“I did want to make sure it was something everybody could come to,” German said. “It is a day in history that we all lived through. Being on the West Coast, it still affected us even though all the tragedies were on the East Coast.”
In terms of which agencies they wanted to invite to speak at the memorial, German said they thought of the first ones to respond to the tragedies.
“We though it would be fitting to have a speaker from each one of those agencies,” she said.
German noted that the doves she releases are rock doves, which are a hardier breed that has a homing ability, unlike the ring neck doves that are sold in pet stores. She cautioned against people trying to release birds on their own because it takes training and the right breed of bird to work. She said that when she releases her birds at events, they fly home to her loft on Fairview Road.
The original goal of White Wings Over America was to have one dove for each victim of 9/11 released at the same instant.
“Right now, we are at 3,659 birds that we will be releasing (across the U.S.,)” German said. “It’s a beautiful, fitting symbol. It represents hope and peace and love, all things we need to focus on at this point in history. I’m excited to be a tiny part of it.”
Margaret Galvan, whose husband Felipe Galvan is involved with the VFW in San Juan Bautista, helped to organized a ceremony in San Juan. She worked with Eddie Guaracha, the superintendent of the San Juan State Historic Park, and staff from Mission San Juan Bautista to put together a ceremony. The Mission bells will ring 10 times for the 10th anniversary.
Hollister commemorates 9/11
Central Coast Dove and the Hollister Veterans Post 9242 will host a Sept. 11 memorial at the Hollister Veterans Building, 649 San Benito St., in Hollister. The memorial begins at 11:30 a.m. with a dove release at noon. The event will feature the pledge of allegiance led by a Boy Scout troop, the national anthem, a prayer led by the Rev. Ardyss Golden, speakers from the fire department, the police department, the Red Cross and a rifle salute and taps by the VFW with “Amazing Grace” played on the bag pipes. Members of the American Legion Post No. 69 will sell hamburgers with chips and a drink for $3.50 or hot dogs with chips and a drink for $2.50, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. as a fundraiser for the group. They will also sell water or soda for $1. For more available information, visit www.911DoveRelease.com
San Juan commemorates 9/11
The San Juan community will host a commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, from 11 a.m. to noon at the State Historic Park, on Second Street. VFW Post 6359 and Boy Scout Troop 428 will place the flags. Commander Felipe Galvan will lead the pledge of allegiance, “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be sung by Maribel De Alba and the Mission bells will ring 10 times. David Rios will play taps and Cuco Chavez will give an invocation. Mayor Andy Moore will welcome the crowd and Luis Valdez will deliver a keynote address. Firefighters and police officers will participate, as will schools and other local organizations. Refreshments will be served.
