Veterans Day Tribute

On Tuesday afternoon Rio Hondo College held it’s annual Veterans Day Celebration in the lower quad. The event is held to honor the service and sacrifice our men and women in the armed forces have made. This year’s celebration focused more on the contributions of women in the military. It started out with the RHC Veterans Service Center Counselor, Arely Casteneda with opening remarks. After, the Rio Hondo College Choir and 40th Infantry Band would perform our National Anthem.

Special Guests

The Veteran’s Day Celebration had two guests of honor Antoinette Suarez-Harmonson and Janet Bretado. Suarez-Harmonson is a retired Army Veteran and Bretado is a 1st Sergeant in the U.S Army’s 240th Signal Company. The two veterans were introduced by Rio Hondo President Arturo Reyes and gave individual speeches on the event and their time in the service. Certificates of recognition along with a special medal from the College were given to the two guests of honor as well as the other veterans in attendance.

A Fun Celebration

The day put a major emphasis on the former members of the military in attendance, but their were also activities for everyone else. These included a display of military vehicles and props, the color guard, wall of courage, and the Challenge Coin presentation. Arely Casteneda would put the closing remarks on the event and thank the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees along with the Associated Student Body for their support and contribution. While a Special acknowledgement was also given Suarez-Harmonson and Bretado. When asked about what the event means to her Pretado stated, “its great that females are paving a path for themselves… I’ve seen the change from 2003 until now there are a lot more female positions and leadership roles.”