Bruce Devert said he and his fellow Vietnam War veterans didn’t always receive a warm welcome after their tours of duty. It’s one of the reasons he attends the Veterans Day Celebration in downtown Los Altos every year, he said – to give all veterans the honorable recognition they deserve.
“I think it’s wonderful they honor us as veterans. When you came home, you couldn’t wear a uniform to tell people you were in the military,” said Devert, a 79-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Los Altos. “Now, it’s nice to be remembered and feel a sense of gratitude and pride.”
Devert served 1964 to 1967 and was injured by a booby trap at Hill 55 near Da Nang, Vietnam. Returning to Los Altos with the rank of corporal, he lent many years of volunteering with a military chaplain’s office in Palo Alto as part of his persistent ethic to give back to veterans.
“Service has always been a passion of mine,” he said. “We never got a welcome home. But I still can.”
Devert was beaming and enthusiastic at the annual Veterans Day Celebration in downtown Los Altos on Monday – one of more than 70 people gathered in Los Altos Veterans Community Plaza in a sea of fluttering handheld American flags and bobbing red, white and blue balloons.
Louis Cogliani, 78 of Los Altos, was another Vietnam War veteran attendee – he served from 1969 to 1971 in Nha Trang, Vietnam as an Army communications officer and platoon leader.
“Events like this are great for our veterans,” he said. “Our veterans deserve the recognition, from Vietnam and beyond. Los Altos is great for doing that for veterans, and we appreciate it.”
The event brought out a cavalcade of speakers to salute the service of local veterans.
Los Altos Hills Mayor Kavita Tankha proffered a quote she said reminded her of the spirit of the holiday: “Freedom is always a generation away from extinction.” Veterans, she added, were the guardians of that freedom when it was endangered.
“We’re here today to celebrate the men and women who have done just that,” she said.
Los Altos Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor said veterans made the ultimate sacrifice to give their lives to the ideal of American freedom.
“That’s what it means when we say to a veteran, ‘Thank you for your service,’” she said.
Stephanie Crosby, dean of the Veterans Resource Center at Foothill College, said there were 250 veterans enrolled in the campus program.
“I think that this brings more understanding to the community about the veteran members that are present and what they’ve provided and continue to provide to the community,” she said.
Alexander Rector-Ricks, a Union City resident and Marine Corps veteran involved in the program, credited the VRC with giving his life a greater sense of direction. He said the Veterans Day events put a spotlight on veterans who may feel unseen in their service.
“This kind of reminds people that outside the holiday, we are still here,” he said.
Billy Ramirez, a San Jose resident and Marine Corps veteran, said the VRC, the American Legion and the Rotary Club of Los Altos all deserved credit for elevating the voices of veterans.
“Events like this are important because they don’t just help veterans, they support the groups that help veterans be successful in civilian life,” he said.
Rector-Ricks and Ramirez were keynote speakers at the event on Tuesday.
