Residents of Menifee Honor Those Who Bravely Served

The city of Menifee paid tribute to military members past and present in their Veterans Day Celebration in Wheatfield Park.

Attendees included veterans of wars as far back as World War II and family members of those who bravely served our country. Despite being a cold and cloudy day, residents of the city came to give thanks to those who served.

Guest speakers included Suzette Proctor (Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, Ret., top left), and her son Gerald Dugger Jr. (Hospital Corpsman Second Class Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, bottom left).

"Right here, in Menifee and Sun City, we have our very own men and women who have served in World War II and up to the current conflicts that are happening today," Proctor said, recognizing the city's own residents who served in the military. "These people have sacrificed their lives and the ways of their life, to fight for our freedom. Yet, they walk around this town unnoticed, unrecognized, and unappreciated."

Keynote speaker Gerald Dugger Jr. then talked to the crowd about his own experience in Iraq that he described as what should have been an easy assignment, but ended up costing the lives of two Marines and one Army Master Sergeant after an Iraqi man opened fire on the compound they were in. He was decorated for his actions that day, but stated that it is a day he will never forget.

"Veterans Day is a big day," Dugger Jr. told the audience. "It's a day that we need to remember those who we did lose.

"It's not the free meals. It's not the courtesies that we get. Those are nice. They truly are, but the fact of the matter is we leave a lot of men and women behind and those are the people we need to think about and thank because they gave the ultimate sacrifice."

Also participating in the celebration, the Paloma Valley High School NJROTC Color Guard presented and retired the colors. Rebecca Valdez opened the celebration by singing the National Anthem, Pete Maroosis (Past Commander VFW 1956) led in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Tony Espejo (Membership Committee Chair VFW 1956) gave the invocation.

Veterans are asked to stand and be recognized during the ceremony.

Paloma Valley High School NJROTC Color Guard stands by to present the colors.

After the ceremony, members of the crowd gathered around the Menifee Veterans Memorial.

Mayor Scott Mann, who served in the Navy for 24 years, talks to fellow military veterans.

Two residents read the inscriptions on the bricks that surround the Menifee Veterans Memorial.

A veteran watches on as his family places flags at the base of the memorial.