SOLEDAD — Members of the Soledad American Legion Post 32 and local veterans will host a virtual Memorial Day tribute to fallen service members on Monday, May 25, all while maintaining social distancing protocol.
Capt. Pete Gomez, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, will be this year’s guest speaker. Gomez is the senior naval science instructor at Soledad High School, where he and two other retired service members lead, mentor and train 230 NJROTC cadets.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, Gomez will read his speech without an audience Monday morning at the Soledad Cemetery. There will also be a Color Guard of retired military to post the colors and a military bugler to play “Taps” after his speech.
“We will live stream the event for those who will watch it from the comfort of their homes,” said Tony Virrueta, Legion member. “This will be especially helpful for our elderly and high-risk personnel to watch and pay their respects.”
Setup begins at 8 a.m., followed by the ceremony and speech at 9 a.m. Residents can view the ceremony online through the Soledad Police Department’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SoledadPolice.
Anyone with questions can contact Virrueta at 831-214-9781.
