Riverbank remembers fallen service members

More than 50 people gathered at the Riverbank War Memorial Wall on Monday to honor the service of men and woman who have given their lives defending this country. The gathering was the city’s first Memorial Day celebration in about a half-dozen years.

“It warms my heart to see so many people here,” said state Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Riverbank, “to cherish the memory” of those who gave their lives. State Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, Stanislaus County Supervisor Bill O’Brien and Mayor Richard O’Brien, who is Bill O’Brien’s uncle, also spoke.

They and the Rev. Charles Neal, who gave the invocation and benediction, also asked the crowd to remember those now in the military and the nation’s veterans, especially those who came home with physical, emotional and mental wounds. A representative from Rep. Jeff Denham’s office enumerated the death toll of U.S. service members in the Civil War and conflicts since at more than 1.1 million. She also said more than 60,000 veterans live in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

The ceremony featured four members of the Riverbank High School Navy JROTC program serving as the color guard, 14-year-old Boy Scout Spencer Howard playing “Taps” on a trumpet and 19-year-old Eagle Scout Elisha Akard playing “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes.

The city’s War Memorial, in front of the Community Center, lists the names of the 13 Riverbank servicemen who died in combat during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Operation Enduring Freedom, which the United States launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Richard O’Brien, who retired from the Navy after 32 years as a commander, said he and the City Council envision Monday’s ceremony as the start of annual Memorial Day celebrations for this city of nearly 24,000 residents.

This story was originally published May 30, 2016 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Riverbank remembers fallen service members."