Veterans Day Celebration held at Shoreline City Hall, November 11, 2024

Deputy Mayor Laura Mork's Welcoming Remarks

By Doug Cerretti

With photos by Pam Barrett

The 14th annual celebration of Veterans Day was held at Shoreline, WA city hall on November 11, 2024. 

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, marking the end of hostilities of WW1 on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. 

Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 and is held on the 11th day of the 11th month, November 11 of every year. 

The Shoreline Veterans Association (SVA) organized the first Veterans Day celebration in 2010 and has continued this duty to this day. The SVA was formed in 2010 to create the Shoreline Veterans Recognition Plaza which was dedicated in 2016.

The Around the Sound Community Band

The day’s activities started with Prelude by the Around the Sound Community Band under the direction of Dr. Marcus Pimpleton.

Welcoming remarks were made by Deputy Mayor Laura Mork, City of Shoreline, an Invocation by Chaplain Tiffany Bothell was followed by the Presentation of Colors by the 103rd Brigade Coordination Team under command of MG Tim Miller, US Volunteers-Joint Service Command.

Shoreline Veterans Association member Doug Cerretti and King County Councilmember Rob Dembowski with the King County Proclamation for Veterans Day.

A breath-taking rendition of the National Anthem sung by Miss Symphony Ames followed. Charles Grenard, Commander of The American Legion Post 227, led the over 100 attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance and fellow Legion member Larry Fischer recited the history of Veterans Day. 

Both King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski and Shoreline City Deputy Mayor Mork gave remarks about Veterans Day and presented Proclamations from King County and the City of Shoreline. A last-minute cancellation left us with no presenter for In Flanders Field.

American Legion Post 227 member Larry Fischer reciting In Flanders Field.

However, it turns out that students in rural North Dakota where Larry Fischer was raised had to learn In Flanders Field by heart and Larry recited the poem as he did as a school boy. 

Jim Armstrong and Larry Fischer then recited the POW/MIA Table Poem that explains each element on the table. 

The Around the Sound Community Band then played a medley of the US military brand songs with each veteran standing when their branch song was played. 

I had the honor to talk about Shoreline Veterans Recognition Plaza and the engraved bricks that honor those who have served our country and I suggested that we should spend time at the Plaza and hear the stories of those honored “If The Bricks Could Talk.”

Keynote Speaker LTC John Hosey, US Army

Larry Fischer then introduced Keynote Speaker LTC John Hosey, US Army who talked about his remarkable military career. Enlisting in the US Army in 1951, he had his older brother Moses sign a form because he was under 21-years of age. Moses asked, what’s this for?” and John said, “it’s for a government job.” The next day John called his brother and said, “guess where I am? I am at boot camp.” 

Moses replied, “Mom and Dad are going to kill us.” 

John completed boot camp and decided he wanted to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and received his parachute wings and then joined the 82nd Airborne. John, how should I say this, was not forthcoming about his age when he enlisted and as he joined the 82nd Airborne he was 16-years-old! 

John was sent to Korea where he received a Purple Heart Medal. Afterwards, he joined the Army National Guard as a missile man in Puget Sound. 

In the 1960s John became an officer and earned his wings for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters eventually being sent to Vietnam where he was one of the most decorated helicopter pilots. 

John retired from the Army in 1982 at the rank of LTC having received two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. 

He returned home and became a King County Deputy Sheriff for 22 years. 

Throughout his talk John mentioned his lovely wife Sandra who was an equal or maybe more than equal partner in his life’s decisions. They have been married for 69 years. John answered many questions which could have gone on for hours. 

Thank you, John, for your service to our country. 

God Bless America sung by Symphony Ames accompanied by her father David Ames.

After John’s talk Miss Symphony Ames sang God Bless America accompanied by her father David Ames on guitar. The ceremony ended with a Benediction by Chaplain Bothell and a Postlude by the Around the Sound Community Band.

The SVA would like to thank the City of Shoreline, especially Pam Barrett for help in organizing this Celebration of Veterans Day, The American Legion Post 227 Auxiliary for refreshments and Aurora Rents, Starbucks Coffee #10990 and Town and Country Market for their support. 

Please join us November 11, 2025 for the next Veterans Day Celebration at Shoreline City Hall.