Taking a moment to remember the U.S. service members who died in the line of duty, more than a thousand people gathered at Pines Park on Monday morning, May 29, in honor of Memorial Day.
The program featured a presentation of colors from the Camp Pendleton Color Guard, a “Boots and Rifle” ceremony and a rifle salute from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9934 Rifle Team.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Ricardo Jauregui, Dana Point Police Services Chief Capt. Todd Hylton, Mayor Mike Frost, Orange County Board Supervisor Katrina Foley, Rep. Mike Levin, and a representative from State Sen. Janet Nguyen’s office offered remarks on the solemn occasion.
Jauregui, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1972, offered welcoming remarks to the crowd at Pines Park.
“I want to thank all of you for coming this morning on behalf of VFW Post 9934,” Jauregui said. “It shows your patriotism and your love for our veterans that are here present and the ones that never came home.”
“From the earliest days of America’s founding, our great nation has been blessed with generation after generation of patriots willing to lay down their lives in defense of our freedom and our way of life,” Jauregui continued. “We are truly fortunate to live in a country worth fighting for, to be afforded a way of life worth dying for.”
During the event, Melanie Taitano of the American Legion presented her version of the poem Old Glory by Vann Morris.
Frost thanked the local VFW Post’s support for veterans in the community and their participation in events throughout the city.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be able to address this crowd today,” Frost said. “I want to thank my colleagues on the City council and recognize we have three former Marines on our City Council.”
“Today, we gather in beautiful Pines Park to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms,” Frost continued. “Today, we reflect on the service of our loved ones, family and friends.”
During her speech, Foley remarked on her office’s initiative to offer peer-to-peer support in veteran suicide prevention.
Levin emphasized his commitment to addressing veteran homelessness in Orange County and San Diego County, noting that “it won’t be easy, but we’ve got to work together and get it done.”
Remembering the nine service members who died during a helicopter training in late March, Dana Point Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary members set bouquets of flowers at the base of the Boots and Rifle display while Marines hung dog tags on the rifle.
In Lt. Col. Dana R. Howe’s keynote address, he remarked on the history of Memorial Day, which began in the years following the Civil War.
“Families adorned the graves of fallen soldiers and flowers in observance of what was then called Decoration Day,” Howe said. “These remembrances spread across the country in the early 20th century. The day came to be known as Memorial Day and was made a federal holiday in 1971.”
Howe noted that for many, Memorial Day marks a long weekend, the start of summer.
“That’s why ceremonies like today’s are so important,” Howe said. “To connect America’s future with its past, you can form a vision of where we have been and where we are going.”
Remembering those who lost their lives in combat, Howe added that “freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost. It imposes a burden.”
“When we leave the ceremony today, we all must remember that there are families without a husband or a wife, young children missing a dad or a mom or parents missing a son or daughter,” Howe said. “To them, we owe our most enduring and steadfast support.”
“To the families of those currently serving in uniform, we owe a debt of gratitude,” Howe continued. “We must continue to support them and give our sincere thanks.
Classical trumpeter David Longoria performed “Taps,” at the closing of the ceremony, along with a rifle salute.
Following the ceremony, attendees laid flowers at the base of the Boots and Rifles display in honor of those they lost.
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