Service dogs at the Veterans Day ceremony.
Seventy-five persons braved temperatures in the 30s and 25-30 mph winds to attend the 9:30 a.m. ceremony at the Robson Ranch Veterans Park on Veterans Day. It was the sixth anniversary of the dedication of the Park. The Honor Guard was comprised of Robson Ranch Veterans: Staff Sergeant Watson Crumbie, USMC, WWII and Korea; Lieutenant Jim Gregg, USAF Fighter Pilot, Korea; Captain Frank Freisheim, US Coast Guard; Bill Moore, US Navy, Electronic Technician Radar, USS Enterprise; 1st Lieutenant Michael Sabo, US Army 101st Airborne, Vietnam; and CW3 Quinn Sowell, US Army Helicopter Pilot, Vietnam. We were honored to have four representatives of Patriot Paws with service dogs in training: Debra with Sparky; Tammie with Stan; AJ with Molly; and Carla with Rambo. SOT is sponsoring Molly and Rambo. The service dogs assumed their prayer position in honor of all veterans.
Lieutenant Commander Gerald H. Jones, Chaplain Corps, US Navy Retired, delivered the invocation, Marine Corps Veteran Joe Arnett played taps and Rodney Hess fired a salute from his replica Revolutionary War mortar. As the flag was raised from half-staff where it honors the fallen, to full staff where it honors the Veterans still among us and those still serving, Bill and Carol Rauhauser led the audience in singing God Bless America.
SOT President Charles Runner recognized the veterans who are honored on the new bricks that have been added to the Park: James Rudolph Anderson, US Army Air Corps, WWII; Bruce Boudah, Senior Chief Petty Officer, US Navy, Ret; Commander Mark Boudah, US Navy, Ret; Robert Boudah completed 26 years of service in both the US Navy and US Air Force with service in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam; Colonel Frank Cheshire, US Air Force, Ret; LTC John Dea, USAF Ret; Captain Donald Giannattasio, US Army Ranger Vietnam; Heabert Hampton US Army Air Force WWII; Colonel Michael, USAF, Ret; Bradford Morgan, US Army WWII; Ian Morgan, USMC Korean Linguist; Matthew Morgan, USAF Arabic Linguist; Evan Morgan, USMC with service in Iraq; PFC Alan Reimer, US Army Vietnam; Corporal Ken Rutland, USMC WWII; Jack Ryan, US Army Air Force WWII; and Dalan Zartman, USMC.
A planned fly-over by three WWII vintage aircraft and the placement of 180 flags from the Main Gate to the Veterans Park had to be canceled due to the excessive winds that prevailed throughout the day. We thank all who honored our Veterans with their presence at the ceremony.