The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and the City of Santa Maria welcomed community members to a Veterans Day event at the Freedom Monument Veterans Memorial on Tuesday.
Local veteran associations were recognized with a new Veteran Associations Plaque.
All veterans who have served were honored, and there was also a special tribute to the 113 Santa Maria Valley veterans who died in conflicts from World War I through the latest wars on terrorism.
"It's good to focus on the veterans and know what that means to our way of life," said Robert Hatch, Freedom Monument co-founder. "We wouldn't be having this conversation, to be able to express our free thoughts, if it wasn't for veterans."
