May 14, 2022 Mare Island Naval Cemetery REPs Thompson & Garamendi Transfer Announcement
Channel: nestor aliga
Date: 2022-05-15

Mare Island Naval Cemetery Transfer Ceremony To
US Dept. of Veterans Affairs
National Cemetery Admin.
1. Welcome City of Vallejo Mayor Robert Mcconnell
2. Invocation Vallejo Police Dept. Chaplain Mike Brown
3. Pledge of Allegiance Nestor Aliga
4. Remarks
U.S. Representative (Ca-05) Mike Thompson
U.S. Representative (Ca-03) John Garamendi
Senator Feinstein’s Field Representative, Mr. Joe Voelker
VA NCA Executive Director Ms. Lisa Pozzebon
5. U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson & John Garamendi
Presentation of Congressional Record Statement
6. 801st Engineer Company Commander Captain Brandon Sawyer
7. Benediction Vallejo Police Dept. Chaplain Mike Brown
8. Closing Remarks U.S. Representative (Ca-05) Mike Thompson

   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 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 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 2017, 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), VVA, AmVets, PVA, Purple Heart, IAVA, Navy League, WWP, MinorityVets, FRA, MilitaryWomensCoalition, NABMW, and many other 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 to the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act which became Public Law 116-283 on January 1, 2021, and on August 12, 2021, US REP Mike Thompson announced the Veterans Affairs’ intent to start the MINC transfer process from the City of Vallejo to the National Cemetery Administration.