Santa Maria honors veterans during annual ceremony at downtown Freedom Monument

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Maria honored those who have served the country during the city's 23rd Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Freedom Monument.

Held Monday morning at the Abel Maldonado Youth Center, the yearly event was attended by dozens of veterans, as well as local dignitaries, elected officials, and community members.

“I think it's a wonderful day for all our vets," said Navy veteran Steve Blaylock of Santa Maria. "The city does a great job recognizing the veterans every year like this.” 

Held by the City of Santa Maria, along with the Santa Maria Valley Chamber, the event also featured the dedication of a new plaque that honors local veteran groups that have served the community.

"Some are major contributors and we all know about all those, but some are minor contributors," said Bob Hatch, Freedom Monument Veterans Memorial co-founder. "Some are just members of a specific group, like the Korean War Veterans. All together, they make a significant impact. Collectively, a lot of them work together on projects. A lot of them work individually. They reach out to families in need to make sure that those individual groups are still relevant today."

Established in 2001, the Freedom Monument pays tribute to the 113 local Santa Maria Valley veterans who died in combat from World War I to present day.

The ceremony included remarks from several speakers, including Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino and Santa Maria Valley Chamber President Michael Boyer.

"It's so meaningful that we honor our veterans," said Patino. "They've given up so much and we don't really know how much they've given up because, like my dad, they don't want to talk about it.  We need to honor those men and women. Some of them didn't come back, and those that came back, it was different for them. Life was completely different for them, and so we need to support a lot of our veterans. We know what the suicide rate is up with veterans. We know that they have health issues and mental health issues, and so it's really important for every community to support these young men and women that come back."

Hatch, a longtime former Santa Maria Valley Chamber president and a highly decorated U.S. Army veteran who served in combat in Vietnam, delivered the keynote address, while Dave Cross, a U.S. Army veteran, served as the master of ceremonies.

"For a lot of people, it's just another holiday and barbeque time," said Hatch. "But I see the families that came out today. I was encouraged by that. The young folks that took the time away from a day off from school to come over and see what the ceremony is all about, I think they see and give gratitude."