Politics & Government

Artesia to Unveil Veterans Monument During Special Ceremony Tonight

The city of Artesia will be unveiling its Veterans Monument at Artesia Park tonight during a special ceremony starting at 6:30 p.m.

The city of Artesia will be unveiling its Veterans Monument on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the 11th annual Veterans Day Event which begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by the official ceremony at 6:30 p.m. at .

The idea for the memorial was first developed by former Mayor Larry R. Nelson, who on his death bed donated $14,000 toward the project. After Nelson died on May 1, 2010 from cancer, local citizens and veterans worked together to raise the additional funds needed to build the monument.

The completed project includes a pedestal with six plaques -- five of which represent the five military service branches -- the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Coast Guard. The sixth plaque is a dedication plaque, according to the city.

Find out what's happening in Cerritos-Artesiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The theme for this year's event stems from an inscription on the Veterans Memorial, "Remembering those who served."

Tonight's ceremony will feature Congresswoman Linda Sanchez as the keynote speaker, and guest speaker Master Sergeant Marty Schafer, who is the head of Southeast Academy, a military academy for high school students in Norwalk.

Find out what's happening in Cerritos-Artesiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A tribute will also be held for the U.S. Navy SEALs who carried out a successful mission to take down Osama bin Laden earlier this year. A moment will also be taken to honor the SEALs who lost their lives when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.

Following the ceremony, attendees are welcomed to enjoy a special concert in the park featuring "The Swing Dolls" -- a group of singers that pay tribute to the Andrews Sisters, a popular of trio of women who actively provided wartime entertainment during the World War II era.

Information, resources, and outreach for the benefit of all veterans will also be available at the event. Refreshments and drinks will be served.

For more information on tonigh't ceremony, call Andrew Perry at (562) 865-6262.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Cerritos-Artesia