LAKEPORT – Sunday was a day to honor veterans of the past, present and future, remember their stories and express gratitude for their service.
Veterans Day in Lake County was filled with fall sunshine and clear skies, which allowed the Avenue of the Flags to fly at cemeteries in Upper Lake, Lower Lake and Lakeport.
The day's central event was the Lake County Veterans Day Ceremony at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
More than 150 people attended the hour-long ceremony which began at 11 a.m. The event featured performances by the Clear Lake High School Jazz Band, which played several patriotic favorites, and Emily Barker, who sang the national anthem.
The United Veterans Council’s Military Funeral Team provided a gun salute and the playing of “Taps” at the ceremony's end.
County Veterans Services Officer Jim Brown told the audience of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars, “This day is about you folks.”
Brown also asked for remembrance for those vets who couldn't attend.
He offered thanks to the many groups who serve veterans year-round, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America and United Veterans Council. He explained that those groups push the government for more help for veterans, including better benefits and health care.
United Veterans Council, Avenue of the Flags, Operation Tango Mike and Support Our Soldiers also offer support on a local level, Brown explained.
And he thanked his Veterans Service Office team. “Everyday is Veterans Day for them,” he said.
In introducing keynote speaker Supervisor Rob Brown, Jim Brown thanked the Board of Supervisors for its “fantastic support” of veterans, and reported that there is a proposal to dedicate a new bridge in Kelseyville to local veterans.
Rob Brown – whose board colleague Denise Rushing came to hear him speak – said the yearly veterans ceremony held special importance to him this year.
In years past, it was a time to meet up with his friend, Butch Pivniska of Upper Lake, a Vietnam veterans, family man and successful local businessman.
Pivniska, who died in June, spent a year and a half in Vietnam, and loved his country, said Brown.
Honoring the sacrifice of soldiers, said Brown, is important to remember. “There is no doubt that many veterans in the past were not honored and in fact despised.”
And while you can't get yesterday back, Brown said it's important to make sure the young veterans coming home from the current conflict are treated right.
He said that in the war in which the country is now engaged, the enemy uses the media and politicians in its fight to defeat the US.
“But enough about Code Pink,” he quipped.
Brown mentioned the work of Kelseyville resident Ginny Craven, founder of Operation Tango Mike, a group that sends care packages to troops overseas. He called the group's work a “heroic” effort.
He concluded by saying, “Let's honor our veterans of the past by properly honoring our heroes and veterans of the future.”
Following Brown's speech, 4-H members passed out homemade Veterans Day cards to the veterans in attendance.
'Friend of the Veteran' honored for creating awareness
Jim Brown introduced Craven, who spoke briefly about Operation Tango Mike, which she said is military code for “thanks much.”
In 2003, while working locally as a peace officer, two of her co-workers were deployed, Craven explained. She and some friends started sending care packages to the men, who told them that many other guys in the units weren't receiving packages.
From there, the effort grew, said Craven. Local veterans groups, including Vietnam Veterans of America, found out about it and joined in.
Craven said Operation Tango Mike sends care packages every month. They just shipped 71 Thanksgiving packages and plan to send out more than 100 for Christmas.
“We know that today's troops are tomorrow's vets,” said Craven.
After her brief speech, Craven quickly realized she had been set up. Jim Brown said the reason for getting her up on stage was actually to honor her with this year's Friend of the Veteran Award.
“You've created awareness of veterans,” Brown said.
Supervisor Rob Brown presented the award to Craven on behalf of the Board of Supervisors and the Veterans Services Office.
Following the ceremony, Craven said she estimated that Operation Tango Mike has sent at least 750 care packages this year, most of them to soldiers originally from Lake County.
Veteran of the Year honored for hard work, generosity
It also took a little bit of careful planning to get the Veteran of the Year Award winner to the Sunday ceremony.
United Veterans Council President Frank Parker said it was difficult to choose the winner, with so many deserving veterans.
But the choice of Dean Gotham, president of the local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter, won resounding approval.
“We didn't know if we could get him here,” said Parker.
Parker lauded Gotham for his work on behalf of veterans. “I wish I had his energy.”
Gotham said he was privileged to work on behalf of his local veterans.
In an interview with Lake County News following the ceremony, Gotham said he served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970 in the Northern I Corps region.
Growing up in San Francisco, Gotham said he was exposed to a lot of different philosophies, but he believed that the Vietnamese people had asked the United States for help, so he chose to enlist rather than wait to be drafted.
“The choice that I made was in defense of freedom,” said Gotham.
Today, Gotham said he realizes that there was a lot of misinformation about the reasons for the Vietnam War.
Would he do it all again?
“Yeah, I probably would,” he said.
He said he's glad that attitudes have changed toward soldiers coming home from war.
“I think they've actually learned to separate the warrior from the war,” he said. “That's absolutely critical.”
Gotham appreciated the recognition, but admitted that, if he hadn't been convinced he should attend, he might not have come to the ceremony. His group oversees the Avenue of the Flags at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, where he spent last Veterans Day, and he had planned to stay on watch there.
A young boy told Gotham after the ceremony that he liked his award, which had an eagle atop two American flags. The boy asked how Gotham had gotten it.
Gotham told him his veteran friends had given it to him.
“Cool,” said the boy.
“Out of the mouths of babes,” Gotham said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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