Veterans honored at Mt. View Cemetery

Mt. View Mortuary & Cemetery held its 6th Annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony co-hosted by the American Legion Post 14 to remember and honor those who have died while serving in the Armed Forces.

“Our debt to the heroic men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country can never be repaid,” said District Commander Damon L. Alexander with the San Bernardino County American Legion. “They have earned our undying appreciation. America can and will never forget their sacrifice.”

In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by Congressional even though it has been observed since the Civil War.

The Master of Ceremonies was Eddie Fletcher the Past 25th District Commander for the American Legion. The welcoming address was presented by Robert Nowosielski, Post 14 Commander, and Connie Anderson, General Manager for Mt. View Mortuary and Cemetery. The posting of the colors was conducted by the San Bernardino High School ROTC, and guest speaker was San Bernardino 7th Ward Councilman James Mulvihill. Keynote speaker was Carey Davis San Bernardino Mayor.

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Horse Detachment from Fort Erwin made an appearance during the singing of the National Anthem by Bridgette Kilpatrick.

A “three-volley salute” and Taps were conducted by the March Airforce Base Honor Guard. The “three-volley salute” honors those who have served in the military. After the rifles raised up to the sky, three shots were fired and the bugler sounds “Taps.”

A “Flyover” was conducted by the “Condor Squadron”. On the first pass, planes flew over the cemetery in a formation. On the second pass flyover, planes went into the “Missing Man” formation, an aerial salute performed to commemorate the death of a fallen soldier.

Several local dignitaries attended the ceremony, including San Bernardino City Councilmembers Benito Barrios, Henry Nickel, John Valdivia, Virginia Marquez, and mayoral candidate and City Clerk Gigi Hanna.

Mayor Carey Davis with council persons awarded a Certificate of Recognition to American Legion Post 14 and Mt. View Mortuary & Cemetery for their service to the community for hosting the Memorial Day services.

During the observance, a medical emergency occurred behind the seating area where an elderly gentleman collapsed and injured his head. Shouts for medical assistance were heard, and several people came to the aid of the injured man. Several military veterans who were trained as medics responded and surrounded the injured person. Among those who answered the call for help were Vincent Navarro from San Bernardino, a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman from 2007 to 2014, and Mary William, a veteran and a registered nurse who works at the Veterans Hospital. Both Vincent and Mary comforted and treated the man’s injuries, while waiting for paramedics. No surprise that our veterans are always ready and willing to respond when there is a need.

A quick historical review from “Wikipedia” on the number of soldiers who lost their lives: During the American Revolution (1775-1783) 25,000 soldiers died. During the American Civil War (1861-1865) over 655,000 soldiers died. During World War I (1917-1918) we lost 116,510 soldiers. In World War II (1941-1945) we lost 405,390. In the Vietnam war (1961-1975) we lost over 58,200 soldiers. During the Korean War (1950-1953) we lost 36,510 soldiers. During the Iraq War (2003-2011) almost 4,490 soldiers died. During the War in Afghanistan (2001-present) over 2,210 soldiers lost their lives. From the Revolutionary war to date, over 1.3 million soldiers have lost their lives in various wars and battles, protecting our country and our freedoms. We honor all these fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.