At the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum in San Luis Obispo on Monday, veterans were honored with a ceremony, a free lunch, and more.
"It was a great event and I'm proud to be a part of it," said Atoosa Boyd, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Afghanistan War.
She was one of two women veterans honored at the Veterans Day event.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are around 2 million living women veterans in the U.S., which is about 10% of all living veterans in the country.
"I was invited by the museum and it was an honor. They reached out and they asked if I'm interested. They also mentioned women usually don't accept to be honored and recognized. Obviously, we are shy, so I was honored to know that they want to do that, and it's important to me just for my community and for my children to know what we value, how we love our country," Boyd said.
Boyd enlisted in the Army just two years after she moved to the United States from Iran.
During her service, she worked as an interpreter, translator, and cultural adviser deployed in Afghanistan.
She says it was an honor to be recognized alongside other veterans.
"I was sitting next to two Korean War veterans, and for me, it was really hard sitting next to them just knowing what they've done and experiences they've gone through, but it was one of the biggest honors," Boyd said.
The two Korean War veterans at the event received medals.
"They received the Ambassador's medal, which is a very distinguished award for their service from the government of Korea," explained Bart Topham, Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum President and Director.
Three World War II veterans were also honored.
"It was a nice get-together, and it's nice to be appreciated, and we need to thank the vets who are not here," said Kenneth Craig, a WWII U.S. Navy Veteran. "It's humbling. And also, I hope the younger generation gets a little more active in taking care of the country."
"After joining the military and serving, my entire perspective of this country changed, and all I can say is that was one of the best decisions I made in my life, and it was such a big honor," Boyd concluded.
The Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum is located at 801 Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo. It is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
