Armed Forces Day!
Our Armed Forces Day celebration was preceded by the announcement that our favorite top gun, LaToya Wong (Club Manager), had been injured in a motor vehicle collision. The good news, that her main outcome was soreness, which was a great relief to hear.
At 12:15 Top Gun Commander and Past President Tim Pinkney got us started with a bugle call to Assembly, followed by President Dan’s welcome to the attendees and recognition of the wine sponsor, April Javist (Sacramento Public Library Foundation), the greeters Denise Santiago (Golden Pacific Bank), and Carol Christie (Lyon Real Estate), the elder Stone at the piano, and Aaron French (Zanker Recycling) for the sound.
Sergeant-At-Arms Tom Bacon (Kidder Mathews) announced our guests: Greg Holt, invited by Leo McFarland (Volunteers of America); Steve Raymond, invited by Virginia Wade (SAFE Credit Union); Tracy Jackson, another guest of Virginia Wade; Heather and Natalie King, invited by Past President Tim Pinkney; Frankie Nelson, Maynard’s wife; Rob Border, Melissa Amaro and Julie Baumgartner, invited by Leo McFarland; and Steve Hymas, guest of President Dan McVeigh.
Officer-In- Charge (OINC) Pinkney relieved President Dan and promptly sounded the Mess Call by bugle, explaining for the new recruits that it meant, “Meals are served.”
The OINC had all of the veterans march to the back, something they never did in battle, to assemble for parade. The OINC kept us spellbound with stories of glory and the cost of war, highlighted by the remarkable story of a soldier named Mead, who was the last vet of the Civil War, who reached the age of 106 in 1956.
PO3 Swentowsky, a Navy man, followed the orders of our Top Gun, an Air Force man, and brought the colors forward, at which point the room stood in rapt silence. Then the parade began, with flags waving from all assembled as the veterans marched through the room in the order of their service branch: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard.
Past President Scot Sorensen (St. John's Program for Real Change) gave the invocation, citing the Bible verse, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” and invoking the protection of the Almighty for all those serving in our armed forces.
16-year-old Natalie King sang the national anthem a Capella, in a rendition that had everyone marveling at her range and clarity. Then we pledged our allegiance to the flag.
The OINC then announced each veteran group by the time when they served: WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, Persian Gulf 90-91, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom 2003+, Retired men and women in good standing of councils, leagues, et al, and active duty men and women. During the presentation, our beloved Mead Kibbey enlightened us with a story of how the Roman legions would attach a bag with a quarter of each soldier’s pay on the standard/flag of their unit, thus further incenting them to never let it fall into the hands of their foes. Each veteran was then presented with a commemorative coin.The climax of the reunion was the individual reading of each of six veterans’ stories from WWII.
President Elect John Lemmon (Knox, Lemmon & Anapolsky, LLP) read George Basye’s story.
Michael Bullington (Pacific Advisors) read Maynard Nelson’s account of flying 35 missions in a B-24.
Bob Miller (First US Community Credit Union) read Paul Stone’s story.
Todd Andrew (Andrews Construction, Inc.) read Mead Kibbey’s account.
Peter Dannenfelser (Architectural Arts) read Bill “Stoney” Stone’s story about flying a B-25 in the Pacific and pulling another airman to safety just before their burning plane exploded.
Jeff Stone (John O Bronson Co/HUB Int'l) read Glen Sorenson’s story.
The meeting closed with a video selected by Past President Tim Pinkney and edited by Sulaf Al Ajeeli’s husband, Saad Al Azzawi, called “Mansion.”
George Hullin played a soulful rendition of Taps and the meeting was closed.
Please mark your calendar for "Son’s Day," June 13. It is just around the corner! Bring your son, grandson, nephew (girls welcome too) to Rotary and share this fun experience with them!
Thank you John Swentowsky (Swentowsky Photography) for the photos!