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Monterey County veterans affairs director announces repatriation of WWII soldier, lists Memorial Day observances
Summary
Jack Murphy, director of the Military and Veterans Affairs Office, said Staff Sgt. Carl Abbott will be repatriated to Salinas for a May 22 interment and outlined Memorial Day events across the peninsula, including Hartnell College's early morning road march and a Central Coast Veterans Cemetery observation in Seaside.
Jack Murphy, director of the Military and Veterans Affairs Office for Monterey and San Benito counties, told the county news briefing on May 20 that a repatriation and interment ceremony will be held for Staff Sergeant Carl Abbott on Friday, May 22 at 2:00 p.m. at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Salinas. Murphy said Abbott, who served with the Charlie Company, 194th Tank Battalion in World War II, was taken prisoner during the Bataan death march and died on 10/03/1942; remains were identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in 2019.
Murphy described plans for a motorcade and a local veterans escort from the Salinas airport to the cemetery and framed the repatriation as part of the nation’s long‑running effort to recover and honor service members who were missing in action. "Memorial Day is the one day that our entire country takes pause to remember our fallen," he said.
Murphy also listed Peninsula Memorial Day events and volunteer opportunities: Hartnell College’s student veteran road march begins at 4:00 a.m. and should finish around 10:30 a.m.; American Legion Post 31 will stage multiple observances beginning at 7:00 a.m. at Gardens of Memory Cemetery and later events include a Vietnam Veterans Memorial observance and ceremonies in Castroville, Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea and Seaside (Central Coast Veterans Cemetery at 11:00 a.m.). He provided contact information for those seeking to volunteer to place flags (Steve: (831) 682‑3688; Ryan Grimes: (831) 637‑6015).
Murphy invited listeners to contact the Military and Veterans Affairs Office for more details and to submit additional event notices for South County.
