When he was a young man serving in the U.S. Navy Seabees during World War II, Ed Souza went into Hiroshima, Japan about a week after the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on the city. His task was to dismantle shipbuilding facilities there.
Peter Novak was aboard the U.S.S. Maryland in 1942 when it was struck by a torpedo. The ship steamed under its own power to port in Honolulu, and the impact left Novak deafened for days.
Johnny Grell served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War.
Joan Cobb served in clerical positions during WWII in the British Royal Air Force.
Those veterans, and six of their fellow service members, are now residents of Montecito Manor in Watsonville.
They were honored Friday with a pinning ceremony by We Honor Veterans, a program of Hospice of Santa Cruz County.
The organization also conducted the ceremony at Aegis of Aptos and at Sunshine Villa in Santa Cruz.
In addition to a pin emblazoned with an American Flag, the veterans received a certificate thanking them for their service.
“Military service is an important part of their lives,” said Hospice Director of Marketing Robin Dixon. “They make such an important sacrifice.”
Hospice Community Liaison Brad Beaulieu said that the ceremony was a way to thank the veterans, a group of people who typically don’t seek recognition for their service, and who rarely receive it.
“People get into the military for a lot of different reasons,” he said. “And being a part of something that is bigger than themselves is at the core of it.”
Edward Ambrose, 96, who mischievously claimed to be 21, said he felt honored by the brief ceremony.
“I appreciated the opportunity to be able to serve the United States of America,” he said.
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For information, visit www.wehonorveterans.org.
