Preparations for Veterans Day Ceremony underway in Santa Barbara 

SANTA BARBARA, Calif - Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 and Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation is welcoming the community to this year’s Veterans Day Ceremony, 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at 901 Channel Drive.

The open air ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. with presentations and performances by the UCSB Color Guard, Gold Coast Pipe & Drum Band, David Gonzales, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, and The Prime Time Band.

The ceremony will conclude with a flyover by the Condor Squadron.

This year’s keynote speaker will be U.S. Army veteran Brooks Firestone, former county supervisor, state assemblyman, and local businessman.

The guest speaker will be Lt. Col. Tim Downing, department chair of the UC Santa Barbara Army ROTC Surfrider Battalion.

The cemetery’s driveway is already decorated with dozens of American flags, along with flags marking the graves of our citizens who gave their lives in the service of the country.

A national holiday, Veterans Day, celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

It was originally known as Armistice Day in the U.S. and coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I.

This event honors the dedication, service, and bravery of local men and women who served in the four branches of the U.S. armed forces.

For more about the ceremony, visit https://www.pcvf.org/veterans-day-ceremony.

For more about the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation, visit www.pcvf.org or call 805-259-4394.