More than 1,000 attend Faces of Freedom Memorial Day event
– More than 1,000 people gathered Monday at the Faces of Freedom for the annual Memorial Day event to remember those who died in the line of duty for the nation.
Andy Morris of KVEC served as master of ceremonies.
Tom Villa sang the National Anthem. Villa’s ancestors date back to the 1700s in Central California. Villa Road is named after them, north of Cayucos, where the family once had a large rancho. Their name was originally Villavicencio.
Dick Mason of K-Jewel gave the keynote speech. He shared a quote by George Washington written on the wall of the Veterans Center in San Luis Obispo.
Dick Mason of K-Jewel radio gave the keynote speech. He shared a quote by George Washington written on the wall of the Veterans Center in San Luis Obispo.
Dick Mason.
“The Willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
Mason shared the story of one San Luis Obispo County man who arrived at the San Francisco bus depot after a flight back from Vietnam in 1968. He and other troops returning to the US arrived during an anti-war protest. Protesters cursed and spat on them. Some of the men had been in the jungles of Vietnam just a few days earlier. For the local Airman, it was a disturbing welcome home, Mason said.
Mason also talked about health care for veterans. Currently, the Transition Mental Health Association in San Luis Obispo is offering free counseling for vets. That’s part of a statewide effort to reduce high levels of suicide among Veterans.
A number of booths surrounded the grounds of the Faces of Freedom, offering resources.
The weather cooperated beautifully for Monday’s Memorial Day Celebration in Atascadero.
