GILROY
– With soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed in Iraq, this
year’s Memorial Day ceremonies should be especially poignant.
GILROY – With soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed in Iraq, this year’s Memorial Day ceremonies should be especially poignant.
“We hope that the (soldiers) from Iraq will be back in time for the ceremonies,” said Councilman Bob Dillon.
Gilroyans are organizing many ways to honor veterans this year.
The Gilroy Chamber of Commerce will host its annual breakfast club honoring veterans on May 21, at 6:45 a.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn, 6070 Monterey St. In previous years, more than 80 people have attended. The breakfast will feature a large display of war memorabilia.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 6309, is sponsoring a memorial service at Gavilan Hills Memorial Park, 129 Fourth St., beginning at 9 a.m. on May 26.
VFW members will perform the honor guard ceremony. District 1 County Supervisor Don Gage will read the names of the veterans from Gilroy who lost their lives in combat and Mayor Tom Springer will speak.
The Gilroy High School Choir will perform the national anthem and the Side by Siders, a local women’s group, will sing “God Bless America.”
Wayne Cegelske, a member of the VFW, will serve as master of ceremonies.
“This is so important because we must always keep the memory alive,” Cegelske said.
Gilroy’s annual Memorial Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at 10th and Monterey streets and end at Christmas Hill Park.
Grand Marshal for this year’s parade is Jack Sturla, an 84-year-old World War II veteran and Gilroy native.
“This is such a wonderful and humbling surprise,” Sturla said.
Sturla said he does not see himself as a hero, but his work as first and second lieutenant in numerous bomber squadrons during World War II seems to prove otherwise. Altogether, Sturla flew 92 combat missions as a co-pilot and pilot between 1943 and 1944.
Sturla says his thrill of flying A-20s, a type of bomber plane, and being in combat is what initially attracted him to the Air Force.
With emotion, he remembers many close calls and the numerous comrades who died in crashes.
In between combat missions, Sturla also flew first pilot in C-47 transport carriers hauling supplies to the front lines in New Guinea and evacuating injured soldiers and nurses from the battlefield.
“We were considered the lifeline,” Sturla said.
He says he is happy that our troops today are doing their job in Iraq and is proud of his grandson Jared Sturla, 22, who is stationed in Germany with the 1st Infantry division. He is scheduled to come home in June.
The parade, led by a VFW color guard, will feature floats, bands, drill teams and individuals. Applications are available online at www.gilroyparade.com.
The deadline to register to march in the parade is May 5.
More than 80 entrants participated in last year’s parade. Committee members expect a similar turnout this year.
Memorial Day celebrations won’t end with the parade. The rest of the afternoon, Gilroyans are invited to Family in the Park at Christmas Hill Park, where there will be food and entertainment from 1 to 4 p.m.
Dillon, an event organizer, said that despite the war in Iraq, no changes are planned for this year’s festivities.
In addition to attending this year’s Memorial Day activities, the public can get involved by donating money to the Gilroy Veterans Flagpole Fund.
Organizers hope to raise $35,000 to build a war memorial monument in Gilroy.
“With the help of the Parks and Recreation Department, we decided on the ranch site across from Christmas Hill Park. We only need to raise about $10,000 to reach our goal,” Cegelske said.
He said all donations are tax deductible and can be sent to the Flagpole Fund at P.O. Box 1588, Gilroy, CA 95021.
