“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.” – George Washington

Our first president has long been revered as a great leader and a brilliant general who took into consideration not only victory, but also those who would sacrifice for it.

Long after the battle had ended, Washington found a calling for himself, and many of those he served with, to continue to engage and be leaders for their young country.

Our Santa Clarita veterans definitely owed our debt of gratitude, but we should also look upon them as the valuable resource they are. They should be appreciated for the strong qualities they possess which were honed under some of the most dire of circumstances. They are leaders in our community and are willing to give back.

I invite all of you to come join us in honoring our veterans at the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11, at 11 a.m. at our beautiful Veterans Historical Plaza. This moving event honors local veterans, currently-serving military personnel and their families.

This year’s event will be extra special because there will be a new addition to Veterans Historical Plaza. On the northwest corner of the park, along a circular path near Newhall Avenue and Market Street, will be the newly completed Fallen Warriors Monument.

This important undertaking, spearheaded by community members and the City, rightfully honors Santa Clarita Valley residents who have lost their lives serving our country.

The public is invited to an unveiling ceremony which will take place prior to the Veterans Day event, on Wednesday, November 8 at 10 a.m.

In Santa Clarita, we believe that every hero should be honored. We do this several times a year in the form of our nation’s flags flying proudly from street poles throughout the City and even more importantly, through our Hometown Heroes Military Banner program.

The city of Santa Clarita’s Hometown Heroes Military Banner program honors SCV heroes with streetlight pole banners in Canyon Country, Valencia, Saugus and Newhall.

Each three foot by six foot double-sided banner includes the military member’s name, photo, branch and rank. Honorees must be actively serving in the military and either be a current Santa Clarita resident or an immediate relative of someone who currently does.

Sponsorships are available for the program. For more information, please visit santa-clarita.com/heroes.

I personally want to thank all of our hometown heroes, veterans and their families for their bravery, devotion and sacrifice. Thank you for your service.