Service honored across North County
Memorial Day Ceremony at the Paso Robles District Cemetery. Photo by Facebook user Camas Frank.
Paso Robles, Atascadero host Memorial Day ceremonies
–Hundreds of community members gathered together on Monday morning to honor and remember the country’s fallen heroes at the Paso Robles District Cemetery. The annual Memorial Day ceremony paid tribute to service members who died serving our country including many from the local area.
Approximately 1,000 flags were placed at all identified veterans’ graves by members of the American Legion Post 50 and VFW Post 10965. Lining the Avenue of the Flags along the cemetery’s roadways, flags that had once decorated caskets of their fallen soldiers had been donated to the cemetery by family members.
Atascadero Memorial Day ceremony at the Faces of Freedom monument in Atascadero. Photo by Rick Evans.
In Atascadero, several hundred people attended the annual event held at the Faces of Freedom Memorial. Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley his own experiences being the father of a West Point graduate who has done three combat tours in Afghanistan and two in Iraq told the crowd about the origins of the monument and his involvement. He also talked about the origins of the Faces of Freedom. He says several veterans groups had different ideas on what should be at the Faces of Freedom, but they were all in agreement that Colonel Bill Hatch should lead the effort to get it built.
Tom Torgerson (veteran) and Atascadero City Councilwoman Heather Moreno.
At yesterday’s event, retired Colonel Hatch helped coordinate volunteers. Among those in attendance, Atascadero city council members Roberta Fonzi, Heather Moreno and Charles Bourbeau. San Luis Obispo County Recorder Tommy gong and his sons, Derek and Darrin played Taps. After the ceremony, the VFW put on a barbecue for those who attended the ceremony.
