Nov 11, 2021 Mare Island Naval Cemetery Celebrate Start of Transfer to Veterans Affairs
Channel: nestor aliga
Date: 12/11/2021

Event Chapters:
00:00 = Start 1. MASTER OF CEREMONIES + VALLEJO VICE-MAYOR ROZZANA VERDER-ALIGA
1:01 = 2. PRESENTING THE COLORS + RADM. O’KANE DIV, U.S. NAVAL SEA CADET CORPS
2:30 = 3. UNITED STATES NATIONAL ANTHEM + AIRMAN FIRST CLASS NATALIE ANGST, USAF
4:15 = 4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE + VFW CA DISTRICT 16 COMMANDER REGGIE RUSSELL
4:35 = 5. INVOCATION + BISHOP BRYAN HARRIS, DESERT STORM, USMC
9:30 = 6. WELCOME REMARKS + CITY OF VALLEJO MAYOR ROBERT MCCONNELL
10:40 = 7. DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMIN., USDVA + GLENN POWERS
15:00 = 8. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS JUNIOR VICE-COMMANDER + DUANE SARMIENTO
21:00 = 10. FORMER VALLEJO MAYOR + BOB SAMPAYAN
26:00 = 11. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY US NAVY (ENVIRONMENT) + KARNIG OHANNESSIAN
31:25 = 12. TOURO UNIVERSITY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER + SHELLEY BERKLEY
39:15 = 13. KEYNOTE ADDRESS + COMBAT VETERAN &  U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE THOMPSON
52:35 = CONSUL GENERAL OF PHILIPPINES, SAN FRANCISCO + NEIL FRANK FERRER
55:40 = CHAIR, HOUSE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARK TAKANO
58:35 = GOVERNOR OF THE GREAT STATE OF CALIFORNIA GAVIN NEWSOM
59:25 = CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR BILL DODD
1:00:20 = NATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION PAUL DILLARD
1:02:20 = US NAVY CAPTAIN (RETIRED) RALPH PARROTT
1:11:00 = 14. WREATH, USS BOSTON + JOYCE GILES, MARE ISLAND HISTORIC PARKS FOUNDATION
1:11:25 = 15. TAPS + FIRST SERGEANT GREG MARRO, US ARMY (RET)
1:13:05 16. BENEDICTION + VALLEJO LORD’S FELLOWSHIP REVEREND REY BERNARDES
1:13:30 = 17. BAGPIPES + NEIL HENDERSON, POST 1921, SCOTTISH AMERICAN MILITARY SOCIETY
   The Mare Island Naval Cemetery (MINC) is the oldest naval cemetery on the west coast. Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies have been held here since 1871 and 1920, respectively. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, MINC has three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients: James Cooney, USMC; William Halford, USN; and Alexander Parker, USN.
   Over 860 Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines who served in the periods from the War of 1812 to the World War I and 100+ of their relatives are interred here. The first burial was George Dowd of the USS Massachusetts on February 12, 1856, Pres. Lincoln's birthday. MINC closed in 1921 but the last pre-arranged burial was in 1984. Also buried here is Anna Arnold Key Turner whose husband, Daniel, a West Pointer, fought in the War of 1812, and she is the daughter of Francis Scott Key who wrote our beloved National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. 
   In March 2017, retired US Navy Captain Ralph Parrott of Virginia visited MINC and was appalled at its dilapidated condition. Captain Parrott and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Karnig Ohannessian assisted the City of Vallejo in applying for the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. The US Army Reserve’s 801st Engineer Company (Construction) based at Mare Island, the City of Vallejo, CA State Military Reserve and volunteers started the IRT in August 2019. Despite COVID disruptions, they have nearly completed this extensive project to bring MINC back to national shrine conditions worthy of Pres. Lincoln’s promise, “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.”
   In 2018, Captain Parrott enlisted many volunteers including Thomas Bandzul of Washington, DC, retired US Army Colonel Nestor Aliga of Vallejo, and Robert Wyllie of the Scottish American Military Society to urge the federal government to re-possess MINC per the provisions of Public Law 93-43, National Cemeteries Act of 1973. Their http://chn.ge/2BUHBjI petition collected over 50,000 signatures in two months and they secured the support of The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, (the Big-2), AmVets, VVA, Purple Heart, IAVA, Navy League, WWP, MinorityVets, FRA, MilitaryWomensCoalition, NABMW, and other veterans service organizations.
   From 2018 to 2020, REP Mike Thompson and SEN Dianne Feinstein introduced H.R.5588, H.R.578, H.R.6039 and S.2881, S.127, S.2983, respectively, but they were not passed by the House nor Senate. As a last-ditch effort, they included Section 9107 in the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act which became Public Law 116-283 on January 1, 2021, and in August 2021, the Veterans Affairs announced their intent to start the MINC transfer process from the City of Vallejo.

Search for Mare+Island+Cemetery for other videos & articles
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/vallejo/mare-island/mare-island-commemoration-promises-no-second-death-for-us-veterans/
https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2021/11/11/veterans-celebrated-at-place-of-honor-and-respect-in-vallejo
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/vallejo/mare-island/transfer-of-mare-island-naval-cemetery-to-va-begins/
https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2021/08/13/mare-island-naval-cemetery-restoration-closer-with-va-takeover