On Tuesday, the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum will be honoring eight local veterans at its annual Veterans Day ceremony, including two men over 100 years old.
Organizers say the ceremony aims to recognize local heroes and help the community better understand what it means to be a veteran.
“We're an educational facility,” said Bart Topham, Museum President, Director and Curator. “We’ve found that it's more and more important as time goes on to remind people what veterans have done for them... why we should remember, why we should honor them.”
The event will feature Lieutenant Commander John E. Krause, who served as the White House communications officer after 24 years in the Navy. At the ceremony, eight local veterans, whose service spans from World War II to post 9/11, will be honored.
It’s a collaboration with American Legion Post 66, which will provide a free lunch for all attendees. The Legion hopes the event will deepen empathy for veterans.
“I think it's just important that people who've never served try to put themselves in the shoes of a veteran,” said Petty Officer Nora O’Donnell, American Legion Post 66 Adjutant. “Some gave a little; they, maybe they were stateside in support, but others gave their lives.”
Post 66 is more than a gathering place for veterans; it’s a year-round resource, hosting fundraisers to help military families and veterans in need.
“We've had not a great history in our country of supporting veterans in the past, and so that's why we think it's even more important now, because we want to heal the wounds for those people who had a negative experience when they came home,” O'Donnell said.
Topham said the event is free and open to anyone who wants to learn more about the Central Coast locals who served for the United States.
“We get a lot of young people, especially a lot of folks that come in and they know nothing about the conflicts we've been involved in, about the various heroes, the ordinary folks,” Topham said. “We're here to tell those stories.”
For more information on the event, visit the museum’s website.
