On Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to noon, Pacific Veterans will be holding a ceremony to honor veterans. Taking place at Sunset Hills Memorial Park and Funeral Home Chapel, the ceremony will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, as well as the 250th birthdays of the US Army, Marine Corps and Navy.
LTC Hank Cramer will be the keynote speaker for the event. He served from Aug. 1976 to Sept. 1990 as a military officer in the U.S. Army, and from Sept. 1990 to Sept. 2004 as a military officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He retired in the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel after 28 years. Even now, he is an advocate for Gold Star Families—families who have lost their loved ones in active service. He was actually America’s first gold star son of the Vietnam War himself, when his father, Captain Harry G. Kramer, was the first Special Forces casualty, killed on Oct. 21, 1957.
Lynne Robinson, the mayor of Bellevue, will also be speaking at the ceremony. The U of WA Air Force ROTC Color Guard will be doing the posting of colors, moving flags from the carried position to the stands. Senior participants of the ceremony will be recognizing all veterans and first responders.
King County population reports from 2020 show that there are around 163,000 veterans in the county, with over 60% being over the age of 65 and having served in the Vietnam War or earlier. These heroes served in the Vietnam War, putting their lives on the line, with the war causing over 50,000 casualties of U.S. soldiers.
Join Pacific Veterans at Sunset Hills Memorial Park from 11 a.m. to noon on Nov. 11 to attend the ceremony. It is a great opportunity to honor those in our community who showed strength, courage and resilience.
