Community Salutes Veterans at Ceremony in Santa Barbara

The community gathered to honor our nation’s veterans on Saturday morning in Santa Barbara.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 and Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation hosted the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 11:00 a.m. in the Santa Barbara Cemetery at 901 Channel Drive.

The cemetery’s driveway was decorated with dozens of American flags with the main ceremony taking place near the flagpole. Over 500 people were in attendance for the patriotic display.

The open air ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. with a flyover by The Condor Squadron, delighting crowds throughout the South Coast. There were presentations and performances by the UCSB Color Guard, Gold Coast Pipe & Drum Band, David Gonzales and the Santa Barbara Choral Society, The Prime Time Band, and guest speakers.

Fly Over by the Condor Squadron is a highlight of the Veteran’s Day Ceremony at Santa Barbara Cemetery, “Honoring all who have served”, hosted by Pierre Claeyssen’s Veterans Foundation. Four World War 2 era AT-6 airplanes make white trails against an iconic Southern California blue sky as they fly close in formation. (Photo: Amy Katz/Zuma Press)

Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. It was originally known as Armistice Day 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.

The Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation states 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.

At Podium: Master of Ceremonies LT John W Blankenship. Next to him is Lt. Col. Patricia Rumpza and next to her is U.S. Congressman Salud Ortiz Carbajal, who was a Santa Barbara resident and formerly on the SB County Board of Supervisors. They are at the annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony at Santa Barbara Cemetery. (Photo: Amy Katz/Zuma Press)

The nonprofit aims to support veterans and active duty members in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as well as preserve military history and legacy. The Foundation works to uphold Pierre Claeyssens’s vision that those who have served are “Never Forgotten.” PCVF is funded entirely by private donations. For more information, visit www.pcvf.org or call (805) 259-4394.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ mission is to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts and to serve our veterans, the military and our communities and advocate on behalf of all veterans.

Scroll through the photo gallery below provided by Amy Katz of Zuma Press: