In its celebration of Veterans Day, November 11, the Big Pine American Legion Auxiliary Glacier Unit #457, started at Crocker Cemetery, placing flags on those graves identified as Vets. Then the group moved on to Woodman Cemetery.
Some of the graves were so old, the headstones had crumbled, but were identified by cemetery records as belonging to a vet.
Rosemarie Todd, organizer of the event, said they had vets as old as from the Civil War buried in the two cemeteries.
At 11:00 a.m. about 125 people showed up at the Veterans Memorial Flags at the north end of town on Highway 395, for the official Veterans Day ceremony. The event was hosted by the American Legion Auxiliary, Big Pine Civic Club, Big Pine Volunteer Fire Dept., Big Pine school, and local girl scouts.
KIBS/KBOV’s Ken Harrison got to climb the ladder and lower the massive flag to half staff. Dr. Walt Sharer from the Bishop Church of Religious Science gave the invocation. Auxiliary President Judy Castleberry spoke on the mission the American Legion Auxiliary. The National Anthem was sung by Michelle Dossey. Big Pine High School senior Martin Woollard, the Auxiliary’s Boys State Citizen reminded the history of Veterans Day.
Stan Smith and Dan Daugherty played a medley of the armed service anthems on their trumpets. 4th District Supervisor Jen Roeser read a Veterans Day Proclamation recently passed by the Board of Supervisors. The members of the Auxiliary and Girl Scouts from Troops 641 and 524 led the crowd in singing God Bless America.
Master of Ceremonies, Caitlin Farmer, closed the ceremony, inviting everyone to enjoy cookies and water from the Girl Scouts.
It was moving ceremony and a chance to truly remember and thank our vets.