The City of Claremont, American Legion Keith Powell Post 78, Boy Scouts of America troops 402 and 407, and Claremont Cub Scout Pack 408 combined to host the annual Veterans Day celebration at Memorial Park on Tuesday.

The ceremony included remarks by Claremont Mayor Corey Calaycay, Post 78 Commander Dave Mushinskie, and Congresswoman Judy Chu.

(L-R) American Legion Keith Powell Post 78 Second Vice Commander Michael Murphy, Finance Officer Bill Mussatto, Chaplain Robert Greenberg, and Commander Dave Mushinskie at Tuesday’s Veterans Day ceremony. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

“We as Americans, we never forget, and this is really what Veterans Day is about,” Mushinskie said. “We remember all the brave and honorable men and women who have served in the armed forces since the founding of our nation.”

Mushinsky highlighted the actions of the late Sergeant William Shemin who rescued wounded allies during the second Battle of the Marne in France during World War I; U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin, who is credited with saving the lives of 165 people at Camp Mystic following the July 4 floods in Texas that killed some 135 people; and soldiers who confronted and stopped an active shooter at Fort Stewart, Georgia in August.

Calaycay said the day reminded him of his great uncle, a Filipino solider who fought alongside Americans during World War II.

“One of the things through the years that I also want us to remember is, in the spirit of not leaving any person behind, we need to always remember veterans such as he and many other Filipinos and other veterans of other nationalities who fought alongside Americans but were not always recognized in terms of the support that we provide our veterans,” Calaycay said. “And so on this day too, we want to always remember … those veterans that we also need to keep in our hearts and minds and to support them.”