Veterans Day at Santa Monica Pier
The city of Santa Monica partnered with the U.S. Army for its sixth annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The event started at 11 a.m. and ended at noon. Radio station 95.5 KLOS provided music and entertainment, Meals on Wheels handed out free food and Coulson Aviation performed a flyover in a Chinook helicopter that couldn’t be seen through the overcast sky.
Dozens of veterans, reservists and active-duty military personnel in partial or full uniform gathered on the pier’s west parking deck to watch the celebration. Children climbed on an Army vehicle to take pictures, adults went to a blue tent to learn about Navy SEALs, and others swarmed a video game pop-up tent.
“Today is a phenomenal experience being a Navy veteran and being Veterans Day, being around my community. We all served our country together. So, it’s a very special time for me today being around other people older than me who served,” said André Andrews, chairman of the California American Legion Gaming Committee.
Parents stood on the pier, smiling, as they watched their children be sworn into the Army. People stood at attention while the James Monroe High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps performed a posting of colors, and many individuals moved closer to the stage to hear Gen. Bryan Fenton, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, speak.
“It’s great to see the community support and recognize,” said Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion Commander Erin Fritzler, a lieutenant colonel with 19 years in the Army. “It’s tough to see military presence sometimes in really dense areas like L.A. So, it’s good to just come together and recognize it, celebrate veterans.”