GILROY
– Wayne Cegelske had just finished repainting the flag pole that
had been marred by graffiti during the weekend. The off-white paint
didn’t quite match the original white coat on the pole in front of
Gilroy’s Veteran’s Building, but it did enough of a job to hide
what he thought was a thoughtless
act.
”
It’ll do for now,
”
he said.
”
I just wanted to cover it up.
”
GILROY – Wayne Cegelske had just finished repainting the flag pole that had been marred by graffiti during the weekend. The off-white paint didn’t quite match the original white coat on the pole in front of Gilroy’s Veteran’s Building, but it did enough of a job to hide what he thought was a thoughtless act.
“It’ll do for now,” he said. “I just wanted to cover it up.”
One might think such disrespect would really hurt a veteran who holds the flag so sacred, but it didn’t seem to be the biggest problem on Cegelske’s mind on this day. Places all across Gilroy have been tagged by spray paint. Instead, Cegelske talked about a more-disturbing trend in society as Veterans Day approaches.
“The problem is, as time goes by, people tend to forget,” he said. “People are starting to forget what Dec. 7 was all about. I can still remember what I was doing in 1941. ”
Cegelske not only remembers exactly where he was and what he was doing when he heard the news that Pearl Harbor was bombed Dec. 7, 1941, but remembers other historic moments as well, like when John F. Kennedy was shot Nov. 22, 1963.
“It’s funny how different dates stick in your mind,” he said.
There are very few dates during Cegelske’s 20 years and 18 days of service that he doesn’t remember. But even after the surge of patriotism that came after the nation came together after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Cegelske is seeing the crowds shrink at Veterans Day services.
“It’s nice to see all of the people,” he said. “But it seems like the crowd every year gets thinner and thinner.”
The Veterans of Foreign Wars and other veterans’ organizations will hold a Veterans Day celebration from 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday at the Veteran’s Building, 74 W. Sixth St.
The color guard will perform at 11:11 a.m. – the exact time peace was officially proclaimed to end World War I – and the VFW is hoping guests Gov. Gray Davis, District 1 Supervisor Don Gage and Mayor Tom Springer attend. The Gilroy High School Band and the Side-by-Siders singing group will perform.
Cegelske, 67, served in Vietnam and ended his army career as a Sgt. First Class. Now retired after a career in business, he spends most of his time working as the chaplain for the VFW, Post 6309, located in Gilroy.
“It kind of keeps you going,” said Cegelske, who finds himself spending a lot of time at events like high school homecoming, graduations and conventions.
However, he also sees a lot of burials, as the number of foreign-war veterans – who served the country through two world wars and conflicts throughout the 20th century – drops by more than 1,000 each day.
Sadly, one member recently died following a stroke he had during a meeting at the Veteran’s Building.
“Most of the guys that are here are World War II veterans,” Cegelske said. “They hate to see (their friends dying).”
It also brings Cegelske to terms with his own mortality.
“I’m 67 years old, and I’m burying guys that are 56 or 57 years old,” he said.
Funeral services for soldiers is just one of many services the VFW performs in the community. The service includes a 21-gun salute and a presentation of the American flag to the family of the deceased.
The VFW post has more than 200 members, including some as far away as Arizona, Colorado and Texas, but Cegelske said the most of the veterans he’s performed funeral services for were not members of the organization.
At $23 a year to become a member of Post 6309, Cegelske doesn’t understand why more military personnel haven’t joined the group, saying the VFW was created to help veterans in all aspects of post-military life.
“It’s like a saying we have: ‘Veterans helping veterans,’ ” he said.
The VFW also has women members.
“We have two or three members who were nurses,” Cegelske said. “We’d like to see more women join and get them involved.”
The VFW offers $1,000 group life insurance and a monthly social as a part of the fees for joining, but also can help ex-soldiers claim Social Security or medical benefits, home loans, employment opportunities, college-fee waivers for families and more. The VFW also will help veterans get back on their feet if times are hard.
“We’re kind of a supportive organization,” Cegelske said. “We can get these veterans help, but they have to be ready to help themselves.”
He said the post has given money to homeless veterans to get them food and offered them information that can help them, but some veterans can’t resist the lure of drugs and alcohol. If they can’t, the VFW won’t support them.
The VFW receives money from memberships and weekly bingo at the Veteran’s Building, and disperses the money to serve the community.
“The money is recycled,” he said. “We try to stay right here in the community.”
Community volunteer opportunities through the post range from donating money for college scholarships and events at St. Mary Church to making sure flags in the area are properly displayed and public appearances of the VFW color guard at opening day of Little League baseball and homecoming.
“We feel excellent about it,” he said. “All these people are volunteers.”
The VFW, along with the American Legion, is trying to build a memorial using flags at Christmas Hill Park for all who have served or are currently serving in the military.
Veterans have raised $25,000 for the memorial, but expect it will take another $10,000 to finish the project. Donations can be sent to the Gilroy Veteran’s Flagpole Fund, P.O. Box 1588, Gilroy 95021. For more information call Cegelske at 842-4903.
