Dear Editor,
First of all, thanks to Karen Humber for the letter about Jeramy
Ailes. When your son gets home, grab a hold of him and never let
go.
Dear Editor,
First of all, thanks to Karen Humber for the letter about Jeramy Ailes. When your son gets home, grab a hold of him and never let go. My son Daniel Navarro was (will always be) one of Jeramy’s close buddies (Gilroy High School Class of 2001). I will never ever forget “that” phone call to our home with the unthinkable news about Jeramy – then in a instant seeing my strapping 22-year-old son, Daniel, devastated with the loss of one of his longtime friends.
Jeramy is an important part of the “we,” as in, “we” were young once. Remember back in school those friends that really mattered? My family will never forget Jeramy with all the pictures proudly displayed in our home. One shows Jeramy, Jamie and Daniel sitting at the dinner table during the Gilroy High Senior dinner/dance in Monterey in 2001. They were mugging for the camera, having a blast … just a bunch of kids from Gilroy who grew up together. Which leads me to this…
Having been in the mile-long procession of vehicles that stretched the length of Santa Teresa Boulevard from the church to Gavilan Hills cemetery where Jeramy rests, I experienced the greatest single outpouring of love, respect, community and gratitude that Gilroy and has ever shown to one individual.
When we turned from Santa Teresa onto First Street, the sight of thousands of people with hundreds of flags, all to say thanks for what Jeramy did for us … it was TRULY hallowed ground we were on. Every single time I am on that stretch of First Street between Santa Teresa and the cemetery I know and feel exactly where I am. I am sure everyone who was in the procession or standing on the street that day remembers, too, being part of something that truly transcended the normal. I propose a renaming of that section of First Street to, “Jeramy Ailes Memorial Boulevard.” He gave his absolute all for us, so what will it take to give our all for him? A special City Council session, a favorable vote for city funds to change the street signs along that short, but forever-special bit of roadway?
That stretch of roadway was forever transformed by an emotional outpouring of thousands, 99 percent of those who never even met Jeramy. It became a hallowed a place then. We should acknowledge it as such. Jeramy performed his duty with supreme honor. It is our duty, as a community, to hold his ultimate sacrifice and service in the highest regard, what better way to do so?
Mr. Navarro, Gilroy
