Among the many Veterans Day celebrations taking place on the Central Coast, one longstanding Orcutt tradition kicked off the holiday with a ceremonial salute to service.
Friday morning, past and present members of the military, as well as Orcutt community members, gathered at Pine Grove Cemetery for a ceremony in remembrance for all who have dedicated lives of service to their countries.
Hosted by the American Legion Orcutt Post 534, the annual tradition got started with the singing of the Australian, Canadian and American national anthems, as the event aimed to recognize the several American ally countries who recognize veterans on this day as well.
Combined Force Space Commander Major General Douglas Schiess was the keynote speaker and acknowledged the important role events like these play in showing support for current and former military members; noting how veterans in the U.S. are at higher risk for suicide and homelessness.
Sgt. Stephen Winter of the 18th Space Defense Squadron, says this was his third year participating in the event.
“Remembrance Day and Veterans Day as a whole is incredibly important to all military members, specifically me being a foreign person out in another country. Working in the role that I do currently, I decided that I wanted to be more involved,” Sgt. Winter said.
The ceremony also included the ceremonial wreath laying from American military members and their foreign allies from Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
This weekend, American Legion Post 534 has many more Veterans Day events taking place, including its first silent auction, as well a Veterans Day carnival, which gets started on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Oak Knolls Hardware in Orcutt.
The ceremony also included the ceremonial wreath laying from American military members and their foreign allies from Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
