Hundreds Attend Veterans Day Ceremonies to Honor Those Who Served

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The annual Veterans Day event in Santa Barbara brought hundreds together to honor veterans with music and speeches.

The 11 a.m. event at the Santa Barbara Cemetery was presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 and the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation.

It included a UCSB Color Guard Presentation, the Gold Coast Pipe and Drum Band, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, Sons of the American Revolution, singer and former police Sergeant Dave Gonzales and the Prime Time Band.

A special wreath was also presented for each branch of the military.
United States Marine Corps Brigadier General Frederick Lopez, said, "this is a great military community throughout. Just to have it on this site, it is special. There are men from the Civil War all the way up to Iraq and Iran so it is a very special place."

This year featured the song “The Veteran,” by Barry De Vorzon. De Vorzon is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written special songs for the Unity Shoppe and is featured on the annual holiday telethon. He is also a veteran.

De Vorzon said "I'm one of the fortunate ones that came back and enjoyed a lovely happy life.   There were unfortunately a lot of guys who didn't.  They either didn't come back or came back as damaged goods and Ireally wrote this song for those veterans."

A resident who attends both the Memorial Day and Veterans Day events Ricardo Bimbela, said "they gave their duty for our country and the least we can do is honor them. Their service, we can not ever  forget that."

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