WATSONVILLE—Watsonville’s Veterans Day march and ceremony downtown has been a staple in the city that honors all of those who have served their country in the military.
While the current public health orders due to Covid-19 will prevent the veterans from hosting their traditional celebration, the Pajaro Valley can still salute these men and women from home.
The Watsonville Veterans Day committee and the City of Watsonville filmed a Veterans Day program that will be shown online today at 11am.
Organizer Harry Wiggins, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, said the program was filmed at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1716 building on Freedom Boulevard.
“Due to the pandemic, social distancing and group gathering restrictions, we had to cancel the veterans march down Main Street and our live 2020 Veterans Day Celebration at the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building,” he said.
The public can tune in to the program by visiting facebook.com/watsonvillecity or youtube.com/user/WatsonvilleCityTV.
This year’s program will honor World War II veterans from the Pajaro Valley and throughout the county who have died in 2020.
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They are:
• Gene Friend: U.S. Army, 1941-1946 at Fort Sill, Okla. and Philippines
Gene Friend was a volunteer firefighter, with a career that spanned 50-plus years.
• Richard Eugene Kitch: U.S. Army, 1944-1946 in the Philippines and Kyoto, Japan
In his retirement, he assisted in establishing Pajaro Valley Arts’ home in a historic building on Sudden Street.
• Othel Alvin “Al” Hopson: U.S. Army Air Corps, 1943-1947 in Germany, flew seven missions
Al Hopson worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 32 years, and retired in 1980 as superintendent of postal operations in Watsonville.
• Harold “Hal” Hyde: U.S. Army, 1942-1947 in France 1944, Germany 1945, Philippines
Hal Hyde continued his military service as a Citizen Soldier, promoted to Brigadier General in 1968.
• Betty Jane Bates: U.S. Navy Wave, 1941-1945, Medical Corps at Treasure Island, Calif., and Bethesda, MD
• Emil David Edgren: U.S. Army Signal Corp, 1940-1945 in Iceland and Europe
• Frank Joseph Rimicci Sr., U.S. Army, 1943, Transportation Corps, France, Belgium and Germany
• Billie I. Goodson: U.S. Navy, 1943-1946, at USST Tennessee, Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa
• Roy Edward Winter: U.S. Navy, 1944-1946 at USS O’Brien, South Pacific Force, Guadalcanal
• Edward Bates: US Navy, 1944-1948 in San Diego
• Dr. Bryan Lee, U.S. Army, 1942-1945 in China and Burma
