Veteran's Tribute Celebration on November 7, 2024, with Special Guest Speaker Captain Brett Crozier, USN (ret.)
Our regular meeting for November 7, 2024, was moved to 11:30 a.m. at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, for the Santa Rosa Veteran’s Tribute celebration along with several hundred Rotarians, Kiwanis, veterans, and others. This was the first joint Veteran’s Day celebration since the pandemic! The Keynote Speaker was Captain Brett Crozier, USN (ret). The tribute included music from the Elsie Allen High marching band, the Pledge of Allegiance led by 100-year-old Army veteran Ted Moneymaker, the national anthem by Crystal McDougall-Purdy, invocations by Reverend Emily Stockert (Two Rock Valley Presbyterian Church), an introduction to Capt. Crozier by Congressman Mike Thompson (US Army vet.), and bagpipes, trumpets, and a color guard. It was a jam-packed and moving agenda.
Brett Crozier is a 1988 graduate of Santa Rosa High. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy, followed by a 30-year career in the Navy. He was a helicopter pilot, transferred to become a fighter pilot, and rose through the Navy’s ranks to eventually take command of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Congressman Mike Thompson’s introduction gave us a glimpse of some of the veteran’s problems he and Congress have wrestled with over the years. Capt. Crozier also spoke about the problems facing veterans, as evidenced by higher than normal suicide rates and a recent increase in veteran homelessness, with approximately 35,000 veterans homeless in the U.S. on any given night. Veterans have historically faced conditions that the rest of us have never faced, including very serious and often under-diagnosed PTSD from their service in war zones. Brett told us that even though he was on active duty, he did not fully appreciate the true physical and emotional cost paid by veterans until he started working with veteran’s organizations when he was stationed in San Diego. He continues working on veterans issues.
In his talk, Captain Crozier did not mention the fact that his Naval career essentially ended when an outbreak of Covid-19 on the ship infected 25% of the 4,800 sailors. He sent an email to his superiors seeking help, but his plea was leaked to the media and embarrassed the Navy and administration.
The celebration and tribute were a rousing success. It brought out many veterans of all ages, was well-attended by Rotarians and Kiwanis; highlighted Sunrise’s own favorite high school, Elsie Allen; gave us some great historical background; highlighted ongoing problems faced by veterans as a result of their service; showed us again the easy and often comical rivalry between the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps., and Coast Guard; and gave us an opportunity to praise these American heroes and thank them for their service and sacrifice. It was a great return to an honored annual event, and we look forward to doing it again every year!
