The American flag was folded neatly and taken through a gathering crowd on Tuesday morning on its way to be raised on a flagpole.
Beneath the flag that waved gently with the wind, stood men and women in silence as they saluted the red, white and blue fabric that represented freedom, justice, liberty and democracy.
But achieving those freedoms came with a cost.
And at the annual Veterans Day Ceremony held at the Veterans Historical Plaza in Newhall, the city of Santa Clarita and the community came together to thank the men and women who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to make those freedoms a reality.
“Your service, sacrifice, and dedication help shape the course of our history and preserve the freedoms that we’ve cherished,” said city Mayor Bill Miranda to the large crowd. “Your courage continues to inspire generations and reminds us of both the cost and the duty of freedom.”
All six branches of the United States military were honored with a series of speeches from local dignitaries and recognition during the annual ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. which represented the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the official end of World War I.
“Each veteran’s story is one of strength, honor and devotion to their country. Their examples challenge us, and I ask us to all give back, to live with gratitude and protect the freedoms that they fought to preserve on this Veterans Day and every day,” said Mayor Pro Tem Laurene Weste. “We must stand united in our appreciation and the steadfast promise to never forget.”
Rep. George Whitesides, D- Agua Dulce, served as this year’s principal speaker.
“Our nation’s story has been written by generations of veterans, from those who landed at Normandy and fought in Incheon to those who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world, each generation has answered the call, often without knowing what lay ahead, but with a shared conviction that service to others is the highest form of patriotism,” he said during his speech, in which he emphasized the importance of having the different branches to protect the country.
Jerry Rhodes of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 355 delivered The Missing Man tribute, a symbolic ceremony used by military and aimed to honor fallen, missing, or prisoners of war.
“It was created by the families and friends of those held captive or missing in action or killed in action,” Rhodes said. “The table is small. It is set for one, one person missing from the lives of many, one person remembered by a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a child, a comrade, a single empty chair representing all who are not here with us today.”
He also thanked California District Judge David O. Carter, for his efforts in assisting veterans and said that, as of July, the west Los Angeles Veterans Affairs has permanently housed 1,832 veterans and moved 987 to interim housing.
City Councilwoman Marsha McLean recognized the Gold Star families, or those who have lost a family military member in the line of duty, and read the names of local individuals who went off to fight for the country but never returned.
“We speak their names, we remember their stories, and we carry their legacy forward, because the hero’s life is never forgotten. Their courage, their sacrifice and their dedication to this nation remind us what true service means,” she said.
As guests wrapped around the Historical Plaza, many of them wore baseball caps with their branches’ emblems, and jackets that were highly decorated, as they proudly embraced their experiences within the service.
Many of them stood with their families, made up of wives, and children, and even grandchildren.
City Councilman Jason Gibbs acknowledged service members families as they also display a different form of strength when they patiently wait for their loved ones to return from duty.
“They are the spouses who spend holidays with an empty chair at the table. They are the children who mark milestones and birthdays wishing that their hero could be there to share with them. They are the parents who both carry pride and prayer in equal measure every single day,” Gibbs said. “They show us what it means to love deeply, to serve selflessly and to hold fast to faith and community through every part of life.”
