San Mateo Daily Journal
By Samantha Weigel
November 12, 2014
Clad in uniform, heads held high and hands clasped tight, veterans, family members and active duty military personnel gathered at the Golden Gate National Cemetery to honor those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice and the men and women who are far from home but never forgotten.
Millbrae resident Mary Alotis stood as a proud mother at the San Bruno cemetery on Veterans Day to place an intricate wreath on behalf of the Blue Star Moms whose children are currently serving the nation in the military.
Although the holiday traditionally pays tribute to those who have hung up their uniforms, speakers at Tuesday’s ceremony noted the importance of supporting the men and women currently overseas and the sacrifices made by their families.
Alotis said her son, 23-year-old Sgt. Andrew Alotis, is a U.S. Air Force air traffic controller who enlisted immediately upon finishing high school. Currently stationed in England, Alotis said her son has been told he could be deployed at a moment’s notice.
“As a parent I’m of course proud of him, but worried. I know he’s doing what he believes he should be doing, he’s very strong about it, he’s very brave,” Alotis said. “And I guess as a parent, I expect to be like that. It’s very hard for me because he’s my baby, but I’m very proud of him.”
Vice Adm. Charles W. Ray, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Forces West, was the guest speaker at this years’ themed Armistice Day to Veterans Day to Today.
The families and loved ones of the men and women in uniform deserve recognition and, as a man who’s made the military his career, Ray said his family is also affected by his work.
“There’s been some hard times. I’ve been gone a lot and the Coast Guard deploys and does things, but they kind of take it in stride and they get used to it. And it becomes a part of their lives. And they’re just as much a part of the military as I have been,” Ray said.
Compared to previous generations, there’s a deeper social awareness of the sacrifices made and the increased support assists in men and women choosing to dedicate themselves to the military, Ray said.
“I think it’s where we are as a nation now and the difference in how we treat our veterans and how we respect our servicemen and women. People understand and it’s part of the reason young people, I think, continue to serve. Because they understand their countrymen are behind them and it’s demonstrated by the Blue Star Moms,” Ray said.
Second vice president of the San Mateo County Blue Star Moms, Chapter 15 of the Blue Star Mothers of America, Alotis said outside of shipping care packages with reminders of home to those overseas, the nonprofit also assists the families left behind.
“I became a Blue Star Mom when [Andrew] enlisted or joined, looking for support, mainly to know if there were other mothers who had the same feelings that I had. And we have supported each other and we’ve grown as a group to not just support each other and to support our children … but also to help veterans that have come home. And the veterans that have come home now need the support more than anything. It was a different life for them, and adjusting is difficult,” Alotis said.
U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, has been an advocate for women in the military and supporting returning troops. Speier said it’s as important as ever to recognize the families who are supporting loved ones in the military.
“Only 1 percent of the American people serve and it’s very easy for us, if they’re not in uniform, to not recognize the sacrifices being made by family members each and every day. And these deployments are long and they’re numerous; it’s not just for one six-month or nine-month period of time. And it’s an incredible sacrifice on the family financially, emotionally and we can’t ever lose sight of that,” Speier said.
Individuals whose lives have been touched by war and military conflict attended the cemetery’s annual ceremony as a communal opportunity to remember those who’ve passed. But for many who have sons, daughters, parents, cousins and friends overseas, every day is marked by their sacrifices, Alotis said.
“[It’s] a chance to honor veterans to remember my family members that are veterans,” Alotis said. “And to come here and just acknowledge that I don’t forget, that maybe [the holiday] is once a year, but I don’t forget. Every day I’m reminded of their services.”
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