By NIHAR JAIN

For the Bulletin

Americans today are once again gathering at parades, ceremonies and community events to honor the men and women who served our nation.

Veterans Day recognizes all who have served honorably in the United States military, in wartime and in peace. It gives us an opportunity to thank the veterans who are still with us, remember those who have passed and reflect on what their service has meant.

Behind that service are individual lives.

There are veterans who spent months away from their families, missing birthdays, holidays and ordinary moments at home.

There are those who served in combat, those who supported missions far from the battlefield and those whose responsibilities rarely appeared in a headline. Their experiences are different, but each deserves to be heard.

For my generation, much of the history surrounding their service comes through textbooks, photographs and accounts of events that happened before we were born. Speaking with a veteran gives us something those sources cannot fully provide: the perspective of someone who lived that history. That is one reason Veterans Day matters. It creates space for those conversations and reminds us to recognize the people behind the uniform.

Here in Manteca, the Veterans Day Parade downtown will give our community an opportunity to come together in appreciation. I encourage residents to attend, thank a veteran and take the time to listen. A conversation may seem like a small gesture, but it can help preserve a story that might otherwise go untold.

Our responsibility to remember also continues after the parade ends.

This December, Manteca’s Wreaths Across America effort will honor a cumulative total of 1,250 plus veterans laid to rest at East Union and Park View Cemeteries.

In addition to continuing the remembrance at East Union, I am coordinating the expansion to Park View, where more than 750 veterans are buried. The ceremony will take place at noon on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, at East Union Cemetery, 1035 N. Union Road in Manteca. Wreath placement is planned for approximately 1:30 p.m. at East Union and approximately 3 p.m. at Park View.

As each wreath is placed, volunteers will speak the veteran’s name aloud. That moment gives remembrance a personal meaning.

The person beneath the headstone had a life, a family and a story. Saying their name is one way to ensure that they continue to have a place in our community’s memory.

Scouting America Troop 828 will have a booth at the Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Manteca, selling $17 wreath sponsorships as a fundraiser.

Residents can stop by to support the Scouts and help provide remembrance wreaths for local veterans’ graves.

Sponsorships are also available at wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0961P. This November, we have an opportunity to show our appreciation to veterans who can still share their stories with us. This December, we can help preserve the memory of those who no longer can.

Both begin with taking the time to remember those who served.