It started with the blast of a cannon.
Veterans were honored with prayers and kind words at a Veterans Day ceremony in Poway on Friday morning. The event was held at the Veterans Park for the 11th year.
Capt. Arthur A. Blain, the guest speaker, spoke of the sacrifices of military service and the repercussions on mental health.
“Military service is not for the faint at heart,” he told those gathered.
Blain spoke of the 988 hotline for suicide prevention. A call to 988 can save a call to 911 later, he said.
“The stigma of seeking help needs to stop,” he said, adding that it takes courage to ask for help.
Blain is the brother of a Navy veteran and grandson of a World War II veteran. He entered the military in 1991 as a U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program recipient and transferred to the U.S. Navy in 2016.
After serving overseas in South Korea and East Africa, in 2021, he took on duties of the NRC San Diego Voluntary Training Unit, the largest Navy reserve unit in San Diego. He is responsible for the mobilization readiness of 75 officers, enlisted sailors and Marines.
“God bless our veterans and God bless America,” he said.
Mary Cross of Poway has gone to all 11 ceremonies at the park.
“I thought it was the best one they ever had,” she said. “I had plenty of tears.”
World War II veteran Mary Elizabeth Doss said she found the presentation informative and interesting.
“It was very nice,” Doss said after the ceremony.
Her son, Joel Doss, appreciated the talk about the 988 suicide hotline. He said those kind of conversations are needed to end the stigma.
“It was wonderful. I loved it,” he said about the event.
