Lake County presents veterans plaque and holds Department of Defense–authorized military funeral honors

The Lake County Board of Supervisors hosted a veterans appreciation presentation facilitated by Rick Mayo, vice president of We Serve Veterans Incorporated, featuring a plaque honoring Lake County residents killed in action and a Department of Defense–authorized military funeral ceremony on the front steps of the Lake County Courthouse.

The plaque presented to the board lists county service members killed in action dating to World War I and will be posted on the veterans wall in the courthouse lobby, organizers said. Dave Wall Smith, president of We Serve Veterans Inc., described the presentation as an overview of local veterans organizations and their services and introduced the plaque to the board.

“The mission is briefly to introduce several of these organizations and highlight the services they provide for Lake County Veterans and our community as a whole,” Wall Smith said during the ceremony. He also explained the plaque lists names, branches and dates for those KIA from Lake County.

The program included short presentations from a slate of county veterans organizations. Cindy Stobo and Daryl Biddle described the Joy Medeiros Veterans Museum, which collects artifacts and creates educational displays about Lake County veterans. VetConnect’s president, Ken Shaw, described that group’s work to help homeless veterans find housing and to connect veterans with service providers. Jenny Cravens, president of Operation Tango Mike, outlined that nonprofit’s volunteer-run care-package program and said the group has sent packages continuously to deployed personnel since February 2003.

“It’s not about being Democrat. It’s not about being a Republican. It’s about being an American,” Jenny Cravens said, describing the volunteer, nonpartisan nature of Operation Tango Mike’s work and the group’s support for families of fallen service members.

Representatives of the American Legion posts, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Patriot Guard Riders, the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County and other local groups also spoke about ongoing services, memorial events and community outreach. Several presenters named specific local activities: Kelseyville American Legion Post 194 sponsors Memorial Day events and youth programs; VetConnect operates a brick-and-mortar presence in the Willow Tree Plaza; and the Military Funeral Honors Team demonstrated the elements they provide at veteran funerals, such as flag folding, taps and rifle volleys.

Organizers read the names listed on the plaque aloud during the program. Names read included Jacinto (Joy) Maderos (World War I) and a range of service members killed in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the reading concluded by honoring any other county veterans killed in action whose names may not appear on the plaque. Event organizers said the plaque lists 30 names dating from World War I through recent conflicts and that it will hang on the courthouse veterans wall.

County staff and elected officials participated. Matthew Rothstein, Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer, thanked organizers and asked presenters and board members to gather for a brief photo before processing outside for the military funeral honors ceremony. Supervisor Sabatier (identified in the record as a member of the Board of Supervisors) offered gratitude to the veterans and volunteer groups for their ongoing service to the community.

Public comment included brief remarks from veterans and local residents. Michelle Moyst described forming a women veterans support group. Robert Bell and other speakers noted work to document Native American veterans from Lake and neighboring counties for the museum’s displays.

After the indoor program and a photo opportunity, the group processed to the courthouse front steps for the Department of Defense–authorized military funeral ceremony performed by the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County. County staff announced the ceremony and then returned to regular business, moving later in the meeting to a scheduled closed session on a separate personnel matter.

No formal board action, motion or vote related to the plaque presentation or the ceremony was recorded in the public proceeding: the item was a ceremonial presentation and public recognition of veterans and local veterans organizations.