SCV Memorial Day Tribute honors heroes who answered the call of duty
Maj. Gen. Matthew P. Beevers, adjutant general of the California Military Department, asked a crowd of hundreds of people to never forget the quiet professionals who answered the call to serve their communities, their states and their nation in the United States military.
Their deaths might not have made headlines, he said, but their lives and their profound sense of duty and patriotism live on.
In Beevers’ keynote address during the annual Santa Clarita Valley Memorial Day Tribute on Monday at Eternal Valley Memorial Park Mortuary in Newhall, he recognized those who died while serving in the United States military.
“These are the nameless heroes who live and die each day without seeking recognition, with whose families know they gave everything they had to their country and to their military profession,” said Beevers, who serves in the National Guard.
According to Bob Kellar, president of the SCV Memorial Day Committee, Beevers represented the theme of this year’s Memorial Day tribute: honoring the National Guard.
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, introduced Beevers before he spoke.
“Under his leadership,” she said, “thousands of National Guard members were here to support and mobilize firefighting efforts right here in Los Angeles. They worked around the clock — on the ground and in the skies — dropping water and fire retardant, clearing debris and protecting lives and property.”
Schiavo spoke of the bravery and readiness of so many who put their lives on the line to protect and save others.
Master of ceremonies Max Morgan, a U.S. Navy Seal and Marine Corps officer, echoed those sentiments in his opening remarks about honoring all those who served, those who fought and died for freedom.
“In addition to honoring the fallen,” Morgan said, “I think it’s equally important to recognize and honor those veterans that are still with us as I speak today. And I think these statistics are somewhat shocking: Only 6% of all living Americans have ever served in the military.
Morgan added that those young men and women serving today signed a blank check, that if called upon, they’d lay down their lives in defense of their country.
Morgan had a request.
“I would ask all of you,” he said, “when you leave the ceremony today, if you see a veteran, active duty retired, give them a thumbs up. Shake their hand. Thank them for their selfless sacrifice. Buy them a cup of coffee. If they’re a Marine, buy them a beer.”
The crowd laughed.
Members of the crowd who served or were currently serving in the military were asked to stand and be recognized according to their branch of service. As each branch was announced and its members stood, the Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band played the official song of that branch.
Pastor David Hegg of Grace Baptist Church provided the event’s invocation, Elissa Butler sang the national anthem, and the Ronald Reagan Marine Corps League and the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 355, performed the posting of the colors and military branch flags.
Jerry Rhodes of the Vietnam Veterans of America spoke about the “missing man table,” which was set up just below the ceremonial stage.
Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, in his address, asked all those present for a moment of silence for Daniel V. Chavira, the 21-year-old off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy killed last week in a multivehicle collision on San Francisquito Canyon Road.
Whitesides then talked about how Memorial Day is a responsibility for Americans to remember the names and faces of those who never returned home, and a responsibility to ensure that their sacrifice lives on — not just in monuments, but in the way citizens care for their neighbors, serve their communities and honor their legacy with action.
“Let us live lives worthy of their sacrifice,” he said. “May God bless the memories of the fallen, and may God bless the United States of America.”
Kellar pointed out gold star families — immediate family members of U.S. military service members who died in the line of duty — who were in attendance on Monday.
“We have, ladies and gentlemen, here in Santa Clarita,” he said, “11 gold star families since the year 2000. And my heart’s out to them. God bless.”
Noelia Marin, general manager of Eternal Valley, talked about the cemetery’s veteran memorial wall, which honors hundreds of area residents who served in the military. While their names are engraved on the wall, not all of them are buried at Eternal Valley.
Past Memorial Day ceremonies included the reading of the names on that wall, but according to Kellar, there are so many names there now that it would take almost an hour to read them all.
According to Marin, the wall was dedicated on Nov. 8, 1992, and it remains a symbol of remembrance and respect.
“As you leave today,” she said, “we invite you to take a moment to visit the wall. It’s a powerful place for reflection, remembrance and deep gratitude.”
U.S. Navy veteran and Santa Clarita resident Terrell Edwards closed with the singing of “God Bless America.”
The Condor Squadron out of Van Nuys Airport, made up of World War II North American AT-6 airplanes, has typically done flyovers during Memorial Day events of the past. According to Rick Barker, who’s a member of the SCV Memorial Day Committee, heavy clouds Monday morning kept the vintage planes on the ground.
After the ceremony, audience members followed Morgan’s request and took time to thank the veterans in attendance. Many lined up to greet, express their gratitude, and take photos with two World War II veterans at the event: 102-year-old Kenneth Placek, a Castaic resident and former fighter pilot, and 100-year-old Donald Kuhl, a Saugus resident and combat veteran.
Mike Barringer of Canyon Country was one person who waited in line to say hello to the two gentlemen.
“It’s just an honor to just shake their hands and tell them ‘Thank you’ for their service,” Barringer said. “They’re from the greatest generation. Not many of them left.”
Many people stayed at the end of the ceremony for a Memorial Day barbecue at the cemetery. The tribute ultimately served as a reminder that the freedoms Americans enjoy were secured by the courage, sacrifice and enduring spirit of those who served. Attendees seemed to accept it as their duty to always remember those who have fallen.
