The Fresno City College veterans ceremony honored the involvement of Hmong veterans within the US armed forces. The annual event took place on Nov. 7 near the Veterans Peace Memorial Monument.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Charlie Waters, veteran and community activist, explained the importance of the Hmong support during the Vietnam War and the conflicts in Southeast Asia.
“[Hmong veterans] were giving their lives for people they couldn’t speak to,” Waters said, “they were good people.”
Among the veterans present was Carolyn Tanaka who served in the Vietnam War from October 1965 to June 1967.
“I’m proud to be a veteran,” Tanaka said, “some of it was the best times of my life.”
But when she returned from the war, Tanaka said that she felt very isolated. Events like the one at FCC honoring veterans have helped her cope. “It felt like someone cared,” she said.
Each Hmong veteran received a special pin during the ceremony. Sean Henderson, director of college activities, said the special pin is only given here at the annual veterans memorial ceremony.
FCC president, Tony Cantu, has three brothers who are veterans. He said of the celebrations, “It’s a great way to honor the veterans, and what is really nice about it is that this is something that got started by committed faculty and staff.”
Cantu also paid tribute to Adrian Acosta, former counselor of veteran affairs at the college, for “getting the group together and doing the work that needed to be done.”
The ceremony included music performances by the FCC concert band, placing of a wreath as well as a salute to all branches of the armed forces.
This year’s Citizen Soldier Award was presented to Brian Speece, a Navy veteran, who is retiring from the State Center Community College District after 29 years. Speece was the associate vice chancellor for business and operations for the district.
The ceremony ended with the rifle salute and the minor notes of trumpets in the distance.
The Veterans Peace Memorial signifies “the constant longing of home” and the veterans ceremony honors veterans who lost their home or found a new one.
Mary Alfieris, a staff member at the department of International Admissions and Veterans Service, explained why the ceremony took place before Nov. 11, the Veterans Day Holiday.
“We always hold our Veterans Ceremony on the Friday preceding actual Veterans Day,” she said. “Students are on campus, and we also do not compete with the community veterans celebrations.”
At the end of the ceremony, guests were invited to join the veterans to a treat of cake and punch in the patio of the cafeteria which was decorated in honor of Adrian Acosta, the former veterans counselor, who started it all on Friday, Nov. 9, 1990, in an effort to give veterans a well respected memorial.
