Veterans Day ceremony in Santa Barbara honors all who served

The Santa Barbara Veterans Day ceremony at the cemetery brought out over 200 people for the special event.

Speeches reflected back on the challenges of past wars and the sacrifices that were made.

Many of the vets wore their uniforms and family members had memories with them including photos and medals.

From the 101st Airborne and a D- Day veteran in Normandy, France, Art Petersen said he remembers coming home without much support. “Just a check” and he was sent on his way. He urged people to thank the vets and help them as they re-enter society. He said he enjoyed the ceremony today. “Oh yea. I appreciate all this. In my time people didn’t care.”

Dale Obern Hoeffliger was putting flowers on her dad’s gravesite and attended the ceremony remembering stores she was told. “They were on the outskirts and the seas were quite rough and he was fortunate that he not get seasick. But he escorted some of the large battle ships,” she said.

A flyover went through three times and including the “missing man” formation.