NEWMAN — Veterans and community members gathered Monday at Hills Ferry Cemetery for the annual Memorial Day tribute, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
The annual event was organized by VFW Post 7635 Joseph G. Rose and American Legion Post 240 Manuel M. Lopes and their auxiliaries.
Local VFW Commander Mel Soares led the ceremony, calling on attendees to remember veterans buried in cemeteries, at sea, and those still missing in action. He emphasized the need for continued community support to preserve Memorial Day traditions.
"If you are a veteran, if you know a veteran, we need your help to organize our great volunteers and keep events like this Memorial Day tradition going into the future," Soares said.
Soares spoke of the importance of Memorial Day and that it is a time to reflect on the lives that have been lost in service to the country.
“On Memorial Day we honor all our deceased veterans, they rest in cemeteries across our nation, international cemeteries, other cemeteries around the world, and buried at sea and lost at sea and many still missing in action,” Soares said. “Here, marked with flags and crosses rest 900 plus of our very own. Some were killed in action and some returned home bearing the scars of war. Most returned home and resumed their lives as our parents, our friends and dads, our employers, teachers and farmers. There photos hang proudly on the wall of our Veterans Hall.”
Several local officials addressed the crowd, including Gustine Mayor Pat Nagy, who shared his experience visiting Valley National Cemetery, where he learned that 172 previously unknown service members' remains were identified through DNA testing in 2024, primarily from World War II and Korea.
“They’re just unbelievable people, and so it is nice that they got to come back and it’s great to have these organizations that takes care of them,” Nagy said.
Newman City Councilman Matt Harden also spoke at the event. Harden emphasized the importance of remembering the cost of freedom and living with purpose.
“Their courage and dedication have safeguarded the freedoms that we hold dear,” Harden said. “And as we stand here, let us remember that our peace and prosperity have been purchased with their valor.”
Merced County Supervisor Lloyd Pereira shared a personal story about his father's Navy service, noting that all military members "sign a blank check" regardless of whether they serve during wartime or peacetime.
"It pains me that I don't think our country honors them the way that we all do," Pereira said before leading the gathering in prayer.
The ceremony concluded with a performance of "Remember, America," a song written by Marsha Borrelli Silva and sung by Sharon Bettencourt.
The service at Hills Ferry was not the only Memorial Day tribute on the Westside. The Department of Veterans Affairs San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery hosted a solemn wreath laying ceremony on Sunday, which included remarks from area dignitaries, a moment of silence and the playing of Taps.
The annuals tribute continues to serve as a reminder that "freedom is not free" and provides an opportunity for the community to honor those who gave their lives in service to their country.
