MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
We Honor Our Heroic War Dead
PEACE POLE DEDICATION
May Peace Prevail on Earth
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
MONDAY MAY 27, 2024
9:00 AM
GOLD STAR FAMILIES
SPEAKERS
MUSIC
MEMORIAL WREATH
To Be Held at the
COMMUNITY ROSE GARDEN
Palm Desert Civic Center Park
43900 San Pablo Avenue
Corner of Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA.
Call Tom Swann Hernandez at (760) 324-5670
for information.
***
MEMORIAL DAY PLANS
Rita Lamb Comes
To the Rescue
As far as we know, the City of Palm Desert has never held its’ very own Memorial Day ceremony. Since we are planning to dedicate a Peace Pole at the Community Rose Garden on Memorial Day, Monday May 27 at 9:00 AM and we are a veteran organization, it just seems natural that we should also honor our nation’s war dead. So, we are going to do this and the rose garden is at the corner of Fred Waring and San Pablo in Palm Desert, California.
The Peace Pole was approved by the City Council in a unanimous vote on March 28. The pole says “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in four languages. They are English, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic. There is also a braille plate. This will be the first Peace Pole in Palm Desert. We have dedicated several Peace Poles in the desert and at Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC.
The Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club donated $100 for this project. The club president Ralph Perry is a co-sponsor of our dedication ceremony. The event will also be co-sponsored by Veterans For Peace (VFP).
The day after we learned that we need to pay a rental fee and acquire a Certificate of Insurance in order to hold our ceremony, Cathedral City Council Member Rita Lamb sent us a check for $250. That helps us a great deal. We will also have to rent chairs for the dedication ceremony. We are inviting Rita to please speak at the dedication ceremony.
Other invited speakers not yet confirmed will include Father Charles Ara, Ralph Perry, the Mayor and City Manager, County Supervisor Manuel Perez, Corbett Brattin and music by Steve Petersen and JB.
We will also dedicate five tiles for these deceased veterans:
Joseph Bud Thomas, former Post Judge Advocate.
Lita S . Bowman, World War II veteran that we honored on Memorial Day 2022.
Donald Beck, who we honored on Memorial Day 2023.
Bob Calvert, former Post 2nd Vice Commander.
These four tiles have the engraved name on the first line and AMVETS Post 66 on the second line. We already have a VFP tile for Bob Miller, Army Veteran. Frances Miller, widow, says she will reimburse VFP for the tile. These five tiles will be dedicated on Memorial Day May 27, 2024.
We will also hold our annual Memorial Day Awards Luncheon. We will honor five Holocaust survivors. Also, former Marine Corps Sergeant Justin Elzie of Port Angeles, Washington who came out of the closet in January 1993 to help lift the ban on gays in the military. Justin testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee. We are also honoring Rabbi Sally, one of the first women rabbis in American history. We are also honoring Palm Springs Police Department Lieutenant Gus Araiza for his great work serving the LGBTQ community. We are presenting an award to Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club President Ralph Perry. Brenda Vosbein, one of the four plaintiffs in a lawsuit to overturn the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is receiving the Silver Helmet Award as the member of the year. Finally, Cesar Guzman, low-vision therapy program at the VA Hospital in Loma Linda is being honored.
Here below is the flyer:
VETERANS FOR PEACE
AMVETS POST 66
18th Annual
MEMORIAL DAY AWARDS LUNCHEON
Monday May 27, 2024
12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM
Cimarron Golf Resort
67603 30th Avenue
Cathedral City CA
$28 Chicken Alfredo includes tax and tip
Dessert and beverage
Sliding Scale for Low-Income
Make checks payable to “Veterans For Peace””.
Awards to
HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS
BRENDA VOSBEIN
Silver Helmet Award
JUSTIN ELZIE
Special Achievement Award
CESAR GUZMAN
VA Hospital Employee of the Year
LIEUTENANT GUS ARAIZA .
PALM SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Special Achievement Award
RALPH PERRY
Friend of the Veteran
RABBI SALLY
Lifetime Achievement Award
Music By Steve Petersen& JB
Call Tom Swann Hernandez at (760) 324-5670
for reservations. Space is limited.
WE NEED SPONSORS
FOR TWO EVENTS
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY
PEACE POLE DEDICATION CEREMONY
We have to pay a rental fee, acquire insurance, rent chairs and videotape our ceremony.
MEMORIAL DAY AWARDS LUNCHEON
We have to pay for air fare, hotel, awards, comp meals and videotaping.
Please make checks payable to “Veterans For Peace” and mail to
Tom Hernandez
151 Lincoln Downs Street
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
All sponsors will receive a certificate. Your donation is tax-deductible.
Thank you.
