Pasadena’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony has moved to a new location and will be held in front of Pasadena City Hall at Centennial Square, 100 North Garfield Ave., from 10:00 a.m. to 11:11 a.m., Monday, November 11, 2013. The public, especially all veterans, their families, friends and all uniformed military and first-responders, are encouraged to join together to help honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
This year’s event, while recognizing the important contributions made by all veterans, will have a special emphasis on honoring the nation’s youngest and newest veterans. The Veterans Day celebration is co-sponsored by the Pasadena Veterans Day Committee and the City of Pasadena.
"This year, we are featuring the Pasadena Community College (PCC) program, which is the number one program in California for returning veterans from the Long Wars," said John Watkins, event committee chair.
Bill Thomson, event committee member, former Pasadena mayor, practicing lawyer and present PCC Trustee, has arranged for the PCC Pep Band to play.
Bill Paparian, another committee member, as well as a Marine veteran, practicing lawyer and also a former Pasadena mayor, added that the program “will focus on our youngest veterans, those who have served during the Long Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Scheduled speakers include current Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard; Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, a Marine veteran, and PCC professor Harold Martin. Invocation will be provided by retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. (Rabbi) Gilbert Kollin of the Pasadena Jewish Temple.
The Pasadena Firefighters Association Local 809 will grill 500 hot dogs and the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 446, Pasadena, will provide dessert.
Committee member Leonard Torres, a Marine veteran, noted that the committee decided to honor young veterans because “by 2015, there will be more than 2 million young civilians who are veterans of these Long Wars.”
The ceremony will conclude with an aerial fly-by at 11:11 a.m. For more information, see www.pasadenavets.blogspot.com, @PasVetsDay2013 on Twitter, or Pasadena Veterans Day, 2013 on Facebook, www.facebook.com/events/556492667738913.