West Covina honors veterans with city ceremony featuring personal accounts and calls for expanded services

West Covina held its annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Civic Center Courtyard to honor local service members, recognize veterans in attendance and call for expanded support services.

City officials, community veterans and state lawmakers opened the event with a formal presentation of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem before a POW/MIA table ceremony and prayers. Mayor Tony Wu, Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio and veterans who served in recent conflicts addressed the crowd.

The city framed the gathering around a pledge to do more for veterans. "We will continue working to expand support and the resource for our veterans for improving ... access for housing, employment, opportunity," Mayor Tony Wu said, urging coordinated action among city, county and state agencies. He also led recognition of local officials and volunteers who helped organize the ceremony.

Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio emphasized the scale of need in California, saying, "California is home to over 1,000,000 veterans," and thanked veterans and their families for their service. Rubio said the state and local communities must ensure veterans can access services when they return to civilian life.

Several veterans offered personal testimony about service and sacrifice. Domingo Almanzar, introduced as a U.S. Marine Corps E-4 corporal and American Legion community commander, recounted multiple deployments and close calls in combat, at one point describing incoming fire as "900 rounds a minute." His remarks emphasized the cost of service and the importance of community support for returning veterans.

Neil Lasala, who identified himself as commander of the Los Angeles County Council for the American Legion, described the Legion's work on Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation and said the organization funds service officers at VA hospitals. "We're going to hire 3 more to service Veterans, here in the San Gabriel Valley and throughout Los Angeles County," Lasala said, presenting a concrete outreach step the Legion intends to take.

Keynote speaker Eric Chung Ma, a former U.S. Army combat engineer, described training and a deployment to Afghanistan to clear improvised explosive devices and recounted the challenges of transitioning to civilian life. "We went to Afghanistan with 26 people, and we came back only, like, 25 people," he said, noting the human cost behind the ceremony's remembrances.

Organizers recognized more than two dozen veterans during the ceremony and invited attendees to a post-ceremony reception with a group photo and refreshments. Assistant City Manager Roxanne Lehrman and other staff were singled out for organizing the event.

The ceremony combined formal remembrance (colors, anthem and POW/MIA table), official remarks and veteran testimony, and featured local outreach announcements — most notably the American Legion's plan to add service officers in the region. City leaders said they will pursue additional partnerships to address veteran homelessness, mental health and employment needs.

A group photograph and a reception for veterans and families followed the program; the city encouraged continued community engagement and support for local veterans.