To honor our Country’s veterans, union members, community groups and veterans organizations from across Southern California will be hosting a FREE community celebration at the Orange County Fair and Events Center this Veterans Day.
Veterans, their families and the entire community are invited to celebrate our nation’s heroes with live music and entertainment, free hot dogs, and opportunities to give back by sending care packages overseas and making holiday cards for ailing vets.
The event will also include a special stamp unveiling by the U.S. Postal Service, as well as information about family-supporting jobs, free wheelchairs and access to services for veterans.
The event is being held in conjunction with the new “Veterans and Labor – Partners in Service” project launched earlier this year (www.veteransandlabor.com). Union members all around the state will be participating in volunteer projects and activities throughout the Veterans Day weekend, culminating with this very special “Honoring Our Heroes” veteran appreciation event.
Sponsored by California unions, “Veterans and Labor – Partners in Service” aims to support and raise up veterans on three fronts: providing volunteer service, opening doors to good jobs and a special Veterans Day event to honor our heroes for their service.
WHO: Union members, local leaders, other coalition partners
WHAT: FREE community celebration to honor veterans
WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 11, 2013
WHERE: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
WHY: Those who serve our country in uniform risk their lives to defend and protect the freedoms we all value. But far too often, our nation’s veterans don’t receive the support they’ve earned or the services they need when returning home. California’s labor unions are taking the lead to change that. Learn more at www.veteransandlabor.com.
UMAVA ( the United Mexican-American Veterans Association) members pictured above from left: Ralph Colin, Vietnam combat veteran, UMAVA Board Member & Sgt-at-Arms (one of 5 five brothers who served in our US Military); Richard Garza, Vietnam combat veteran (has a great picture album from his days in Nam).
to learn more about UMAVA and its involvement in patriotic and civic events, please visit: http://umava.org/infonewsarticles.php
P.S. 10 umava members just returned from 5th trip to Oregon to speak to thousands of high school students (Sun Nov 3rd – Friday Nov 8th). We met 15 Battan Death March POWs (spent 3 1/2 to 4 years as POW under war crimes conditions); plus other veterans of historical significance from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc.
thanks,
Francisco J. Barragan
Commander, UMAVA
Semper Fi!