As you climb the hill at Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary, you’re engulfed by the seemingly endless acres of graves – more than 5,000 of them veterans. At the top of the park, amidst the peace ad beauty of the rolling Newhall hills, there stands a wall that represents history, pride, sacrifice, and selfless dedication to our country. Together, six members of the Santa Clarita Veterans Memorial Committee stood in remembrance.
“We are a group of vets, kin, or simply people who take pride in honoring our armed forces, that gets together every month,” said committee President Duane Harte, retired United States Navy Reserve.
Established in 1988, the committee was originally formed with the intent to provide Memorial Day services to the community – a project that is still central to the organization’s mission and dear to members’ hearts. Each year, the committee organizes and leads the Memorial Day Tribute to Veterans programming, in partnership with Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary. The event is one of the most anticipated and well-attended memorial events in the Santa Clarita Valley.
“We plan a year in advance, and for the last 4-5 years it gets better each year,” said member Bill Reynolds, U.S. Army. “The wall is the center of our Memorial Day event.”
And the task at hand requires the camaraderie and teamwork that only veterans quite understand. As committee members band together to organize the annual programming, every member demonstrates an individual commitment, passion, and talent. From architects to transportation coordinators, each member is very passionate about the committee and community involvement as a whole.
Each year, there is a different theme for the event, and past themes have included: Arlington National Cemetery. The Tomb of the Unknowns, Honoring Old Glory, and a Salute to WWII Veterans at Iwo Jima. There are more than 1,068 names on the wall, and each year, as part of the Memorial Day ceremony, the names are read aloud to honor the fallen. The Veterans Memorial Committee has also honored the 12 Santa Clarita Gold Star families.
On the Saturday prior to the Memorial Day Tribute, groups of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts place more than 5,000 American flags on the veteran graves. BPO Elks 2379 is also a big contributor that helps the committee feed the Scout groups, as well as Eternal Valley staff, who allow the committee to put on such an event.
When asked how they manage to put on such a large event, with more than 1,000 people in attendance in recent years, they all laughed and smiled, looking to Duane Harte, who has been their president for the past four years, as well as the core and base behind the great leadership that runs through the committee.
“He is the call man and mediator, and very committed to what he does on this committee,” said member Sharon Ventrice, wife of a veteran.
If you would like to volunteer or make a donation to the Santa Clarita Veterans Memorial Committee, please contact Duane Harte atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”>duane.harte@gmail.com.
