SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County leaders paid tribute to the many veterans living in the region on Monday, particularly those who, having completed their time in the military, continued to serve the public interest by re-enlisting in the military sector. local government.

A few members of the public joined dozens of local firefighters and law enforcement officials inside the county Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Cruz for a rainy Veterans Day ceremony jointly hosted by the city and county. It may have been pouring rain outside as a storm blanketed the coast, but there was little evidence to show for it inside, as many of the uniformed officials looked immaculate and in their best attire – not a scratch to be seen.

“We are grateful to the women and men who have provided that full service and to those who have served in any of the branches of our armed forces,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, who shared stories of his father and brother who Both spent years voluntarily serving in the military. “But my father and brother are not unusual. They are like many of your fathers, many of your brothers, many of your mothers, many of your sisters… many of you who, when the nation called, the answer was ‘yes’. The only question you had was ‘how fast can I get there and what can I do?’ And we love you very much for that.”

Santa Cruz Police Honor Guard members Daniel Chon and Brian George salute the colors during Monday’s Veterans Day ceremony at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building. (Shmuel Thaler – Sentinel of Santa Cruz)

Marine Corps veteran Michael Leahy is thanked for his service by Rafael Garibay of Hospice of Santa Cruz County during Monday’s laying ceremony at Aegis Living Aptos. (Shmuel Thaler – Sentinel of Santa Cruz)

Aegis Living Aptos veterans are honored Monday during Hospice of Santa Cruz County’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. (Shmuel Thaler – Sentinel of Santa Cruz)

Monday’s Veterans Day ceremony begins at the Santa Cruz Veterans Building. (Shmuel Thaler – Sentinel of Santa Cruz)

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Santa Cruz Police Honor Guard members Daniel Chon and Brian George salute the colors during Monday’s Veterans Day ceremony at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building. (Shmuel Thaler – Sentinel of Santa Cruz)

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The ceremony began outside in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz at the county Veterans Memorial, dedicated on May 30, 1928. Keeley was joined by veteran county supervisor Bruce McPherson and several first responders to impose their hands on the granite monument and share a moment of silence. and reflection as a gentle rain fell and cars whizzed by.

Once inside, the national anthem was sung and the Santa Cruz Police Department Honor Guard formally installed the American and state flags on stage and placed them alongside six other flags representing the country’s armed forces. Keeley and McPherson shared proclamations approved by city and county jurisdictions honoring veterans and expressed some reflections on the day.

“Today is a special day and it comes with an air of self-interest: (when) government service is questioned, workers are challenged, military veterans are sometimes forgotten,” said McPherson, who served six years in the Reserves of the United States Army. “But (they) should know that they are not forgotten, certainly in this day and not by the city and county of Santa Cruz.”

James Mitchell, a retired first sergeant from the U.S. Army, where he served for 26 years, attended the event in full uniform. He said it is especially important that the day be used to raise awareness about the struggles some veterans face as they reintegrate into civil society after their service ends.

“I know everyone’s sacrifices, whether they served a few days or a lifetime, like I did,” Mitchell said, adding that he was especially concerned about younger veterans who may not have served long enough to receive some of support benefits. that helped him rebuild his life after his career in the military. “As soon as we recognize that they are struggling, we should help them.”

Santa Cruz County is home to more than 8,500 veterans or approximately 3% of the total population. That same figure rises to 7% when looking at the nation as a whole.

The ceremony in Santa Cruz came as the county, in coordination with hundreds of jurisdictions across the country, began honoring veterans in other ways. For the third time, the concrete façade of the County Government Center was illuminated with fluorescent green light Nov. 4-11 to honor and recognize veterans across the country who are reintegrating into their communities. The event, called “Operation Green Light,” aims to further shed light on the thousands of veteran suicides that occur across the country each year and sound the alarm that veterans are at a higher risk of suicide than the population. general.

But it wasn’t just government agencies that took the time Monday to commemorate the national holiday. Hospice of Santa Cruz County held pinning ceremonies for local veterans at several senior care facilities across the county, including Valley Haven in Watsonville, Aegis Living in Aptos and Brookdale Senior Living in Scotts Valley.

The ceremony, which includes a certificate of service and pinning, is part of Hospice’s We Honor Veterans program, which recognizes the unique care and needs veterans may have and seeks to provide its clinical staff with resources and tools to better address post-traumatic stress. , trauma-informed care, and other conditions that may arise from military service. According to Cathy Conway, executive director of Hospice of Santa Cruz County, the local nonprofit currently provides care to 61 veterans throughout the area. Nationally, one in four hospice patients is a veteran, he said.

“Across the country, Veterans Day is marked by ceremonies and tributes. At Hospice of Santa Cruz County, we honor our veterans all year long,” Conway wrote in a statement. “It is our privilege to support and accompany our veteran hospice and hospice patients on this part of their journey. “We are committed to addressing the unique needs of our veteran patients at the end of life and recognize their legacy of bravery and honor through our We Honor Veterans program.”

Back in Santa Cruz, former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant David Brown, who helped organize the city-county event, was preparing to return to his office at the county building as a policy and budget analyst. He told the Sentinel that the veteran experience is extremely varied and complex. Many, he said, make it through their time of service without problems, while others have their lives altered forever for both psychological and physical reasons.

“Veterans often identify themselves as people who help. But we all have moments in our lives when we are vulnerable. And some veterans come back and become vulnerable, but we don’t really think about them that way,” Brown said. “Veterans Day, for me; I try to think about those people.”

The Veterans Memorial Building, at 846 Front St. in Santa Cruz, hosts a day of service for veterans from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday and helps connect local veterans with various support services. You can also contact the service office at 831-454-7276.