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400 attend Memorial Day ceremonies
Patriotic music, speeches pay tribute to veterans throughout region

by Jeb Bing

More than 400 turned out Monday for Memorial Day observances at the outdoor gardens of the Pleasanton Senior Center on a weather-perfect day for music, commemorative speeches and a marching color guard.

The Pleasanton Community Concert band under the direction of Bob Williams played patriotic music starting at 10:30 a.m. with Richard Ghera, adjutant of the Pleasanton American Legion Post 237, opening the two-hour service at 11 a.m.

Guest speakers included David Ham, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6298 in Pleasanton, Mayor Jennifer Hosterman, Joe Sweeney, civilian aid to the Secretary of the Army, Northern California, and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick McKie from Camp Parks.

Members of both the VFW and American Legion formed the color guard under the direction of John Delashaw that marched from the Senior Center to the lectern at the front of the large crowd. With everyone standing, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, led by Carl Corbett, an Eagle Scout with Venture Crew 937, and followed by the singing of the national anthem by Georganne Seavey.

Later in the program, Seavey also sang "America the Beautiful," followed by the reading of the "Gettysburg Address" by Sam Peters of Pleasanton Boy Scout Troop 998.

A 21-gun salute, followed by the playing of taps, concluded the program.

Last Saturday as the three-day Memorial Day weekend started, Pleasanton Scouts, under the direction of American Legion's Pleasanton Post 237, placed special bronze grave markers with flags on the 535 graves of veterans who are buried in the city's Pioneer Cemetery and at the adjacent St. Augustine Catholic Cemetery. They were joined by Maj. Kimberly Tauch and members of the 368th military intelligence battalion from Camp Parks.