San Bruno hosts Veterans Day ceremony 

“We have hallowed grounds in the city of San Bruno,” Mayor Rico Medina said during opening remarks. “How do we not take a moment today to rise up and support and thank those that allow us here today, that allow us the freedoms?” 

The federal shutdown has caused the cancellation of some Veterans Day events across the country, both due to a lack of access to federal facilities and the inability of active-duty military members to participate. At the San Bruno ceremony, the Police Department Honor Guard presented the colors, rather than service members. 

Although the ceremony looked different this year, it was incredibly important to move forward with honoring the country’s veterans regardless, Medina said. During his speech, he highlighted 102-year-old World War II veteran and San Bruno resident Alfred Malatesta, who landed on Normandy Beach two days after D-Day and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service. 

“This is one of the reasons, if not many, as to why we come here today,” Medina said. “I think everybody in this room can say this is one thing we can all agree on and stand for as a country and as a people, that we honor our veterans.” 

The Capuchino High School Chamber Singers and U.S. Naval Seal Cadet Corps Band of the West were also in attendance to perform music for the celebration, which included a Blue Star Wreath presentation to honor the family members of those in the service. 

Veterans were also asked to stand during the ceremony and share their years of service. One former Air Force serviceman, Lorenzo Martinez, said he attends the Veterans Day celebrations every year to honor both past and present military members. 

Coming from a military family, with two brothers who served in various branches, Martinez said it can be disappointing to not see younger residents at such celebrations and worries future generations may forget the importance of honoring service. It was heartening, however, that the city worked to relocate the event, rather than cancel it, he said. 

“We go every year to the cemetery,” Martinez said. “I was really happy that Rico … stepped up and said, ‘Hey, here. We got the Senior Center. We got a big old room, let’s do it.” 

U.S. Army Major Brian Flaherty of the Marine Corps Reserves served as master of ceremonies during the program and emphasized the sacrifice of those who defended American democracy and liberties during the speech. 

“For nearly 250 years, American men and women have answered the nation’s call to protect, defend and preserve our core principles, and today we’re gathered here to rightly commemorate the service and that of all veterans, not just those who’ve gone before us,” he said. 

Honoring veterans who protect those democratic values means exercising them — including being informed, standing up against injustice and voting, Gil Sanborn, former civilian aide to the secretary of the U.S. Army, told attendees. 

“We all need to exercise the rights granted us in that Constitution that our veterans fought so hard to earn,” he said. “Democracy is not a spectator sport. It’s a full contact sport.”