Annual Veterans Day ceremony is Monday

The annual Veterans Day ceremony in Socorro County will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, at Isidro Baca Park, which flanks Socorro’s historic plaza.

The ceremony will recognize all veterans attending by their service.

“Veterans are people who stood up, put on the uniform and were willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom and our country, and that is definitely worth being recognized,” said master of ceremonies Lt. Col. Dave Finley with the Civil Air Patrol.

The ceremony will begin with a presentation of colors from the local Civil Air Patrol, followed by the national anthem sung by Toni Murillo and an invocation by Daun Medaris with the Forget Me Not Veterans Park. Veterans branch songs will be played to the date of established service.

The confirmed list of speakers includes Socorro Mayor Ravi Bhasker; State Representative Tara Jarmillo, Socorro County Manager Andrew Lotrich, New Mexico Tech Vice-President Van Romero and El Defensor Chieftain Publisher Wanda Moeller. The keynote speaker will be given by Sgt. Major of White Sands Test Center Stephen Sloane.

The speakers will be followed by a rifle salute from the DAV Honor Guard, bagpipe playing, and taps.

The beautiful Isidro Baca Park honors Socorroans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The park contains a fragment of “Jumbo”, the steel casing of the first atomic bomb detonated at Trinity Site, southeast of Socorro. It also contains the Isidro Baca Park Memorial, World War II Bataan Memorial, and Blue Star Memorial. The children’s play area contains military styled equipment.