- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Veterans Day celebration honors those who served and those who support them
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Lake County’s annual Veterans Day celebration on Saturday honored not just those who have served in the military but also those who have helped them once they came home.
The event took place once again this year at Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport.
The Lakeport Fire Protection District brought its ladder truck, using it to display a large American flag just outside of the venue, where members of the Military Funeral Honors Team also were staged. The group posted the colors, provided a gun volley and the playing of “Taps.”
The Clear Lake High School Jazz Band, under the direction of Jenni Ingram, performed a host of songs honoring the military and My Divas sang the national anthem.
Members of 4-H distributed thank you cards to the veterans as they have in past years. In the audience, some of the vets noted how they’ve held onto the cards over the years.
Lake County has an estimated 7,000 veterans, with one of the highest per-capita veterans populations among California’s 58 counties.
It was noted during the ceremony that one in five Americans who will die this year have served in the military.
The event’s guest speaker was Lt. Luke Bingham of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Bingham, an Air Force veteran who served in the security services, also is planning to run for sheriff in 2024.
He deployed to the Middle East twice, in 1996 and 1997, and recounted how many of his family members also have been in the armed forces.
Bingham noted that only 6% of the United States population has been in military service, and borrowed a portion of a quote from Winston Churchill: “So much owed by so many to so few.”
He told the group, “I am proud to be a veteran and proud to stand among all of you who have served.”
Honoring those who support veterans; veteran of the year
Each year, a celebration highlight is the presentation of two awards: Friend of the Veteran and Veteran of the Year.
This year’s Friend of the Veteran Award recipient is attorney Angela Carter, whose work in Lake County includes having previously managed the indigent defense contract.
“This is a tremendous honor,” said Carter, adding, “It’s very meaningful to me.”
One of her passions has been working as part of the Veterans Court team, a group that includes representatives of the Veterans Service Office, District Attorney’s Office and the Lake County Superior Court.
Carter explained that Veterans Court is different from the normal court atmosphere.
Veterans who come into the program may be there due to issues relating to PTSD or addition, she said.
Carter said Veterans Court is a committee and a team effort that manages and helps veterans through an 18-month program that is an alternative to incarceration.
They help veterans meet a variety of needs. Carter said they’ve helped with service dogs, prosthetics, housing and meeting medical needs.
“It’s been a tremendous success,” she said.
She said Veterans Court begins with the pledge of allegiance and applause at the end.
Carter said she was accepting the award on behalf of the Veterans Court team.
She told Lake County News after the ceremony that recidivism for Veterans Court participants across the nation is about 50%, while in Lake County it is very low.
Along with Carter’s award, a second Friend of the Veteran Award was presented to Lake County’s volunteer drivers.
The Veteran of the Year Award went to Military Funeral Honors Team Kenneth Scott, who also is a board member of the Joy Madeiros Veterans Museum in Lakeport.
Scott emphasized the group’s service to veterans.
He said it was one of the greatest awards he had received.
The Military Funeral Honors Team helped close the event with a gun volley and the playing of “Taps” before veterans and attendees were treated to a free lunch.
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