Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation celebrates freedom on Fourth of July
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — It was a patriotic affair on Sunday at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, as the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation hosted a Fourth of July celebration.
Plenty of people gathered together to honor local heroes while also bringing back a sense of normalcy.
“It’s a revitalization and rejuvenation of what we do,” Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation co-founder John Blankenship said.
After spending more than six years as a prisoner of war, Vietnam veteran Charlie Plumb says that Independence Day is his favorite day.
“It’s a day like today when we celebrate our forefathers,” he said. “The men and women who started this country 245 years ago.”
The event included a performance by Gold Coast Pipe Band; an honor guard from Vandenberg Air Force Base; and “America the Beautiful” performed by David Gonzales, a retired Santa Barbara Police sargent.
Plumb was featured as a keynote speaker while Col. Robert A. Long — the new commander of Space Launch Delta 30 at United States Space Force — also spoke to the audience.
“A lot of civilians here, a lot of military people here,” Plumb said. “Everybody appreciates the flag, we sing the songs and we pledge allegiance.”
Not only was the event an opportunity to honor those who served our country but it also marked the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation’s first in-person celebration since November of 2019.
“We’re sort of pent-up, we’ve been cloistered for so long,” Plumb said. “I can closely identify with that after spending 2,103 days in a little prison cell.”
“It’s just really rewarding though to see all the faces and see the people light up and feel honored,” Blankenship said.
As our country observes Independence Day, the veterans hope that their service and sacrifice won’t be forgotten.
“Wherever we serve and whatever we do is really important,” Blankenship said. “You have to remember that they wear that uniform and they put their lives on the line.”
The event concluded with a flyover from the Condor Squadron based in Van Nuys, California.
For more information, visit pcvf.org or call 805-259-4394. To get involved or donate to ensure local veterans are thanked, honored and supported all year long, email media@pcvf.org.
