Sergeant First Class Kevin Graves, the father of a fallen U.S. Army soldier from the Iraq war and now a California State Guard Chaplain Assistant, will serve as the keynote speaker for Marin County’s annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 26, inside Exhibit Hall at the Marin County Fairgrounds in San Rafael.
The annual tradition of honoring servicemembers who lost their lives in conflicts will be hosted and led by the Marin County United Veterans Council, which represents local veterans organizations and military family support groups. The doors open for the indoor event at “zero nine hundred” (9 AM), and the ceremony starts at 10 AM.
Memorial Day is always celebrated on the last Monday of May. It is observed as a federal closed-door holiday by the County of Marin, other government offices, and many businesses.
Graves, who had a 30-year career in construction, changed his personal mission after his son, Army Specialist Joseph A. Graves, was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 25, 2006. As a new Gold Star family member – a loved one of an armed forces veteran killed in combat – Kevin Graves then channeled his energy into the founding of the nonprofit Some Gave All –Joey Graves Foundation to provide comfort and healing to families of the fallen and draw attention to the sacrifices they make.
Kevin Graves joined the California State Guard and is assigned to the 185th Military Police Battalion in Pittsburg. A resident of Discovery Bay in eastern Contra Costa County, Graves recently retired as an outreach coordinator for the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Starting at 9:30 AM, there will be 30 minutes of traditional patriotic and military music from the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Non-Marching Band – fondly known in Marin as the Sewer Band. In addition to Graves’ presentation, the ceremony will feature the singing voices of Marin Golden Gate Barbershop Chorus, presentation of colors by the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, a bagpiper, a chaplain’s invocation and benediction, placement of ceremonial wreaths, and recognition of local elected officials and veterans group representatives.
After a reading of the Gettysburg Address by Vietnam Combat Veteran Kermit Kubitz and a rendition of “Taps” to conclude the ceremony, guests can enjoy complimentary coffee and doughnuts and visit information tables from veterans’ organizations plus an outdoor display of vintage military vehicles from the Joe Garbarino collection.
Marin County has lost hundreds of service members during international conflicts around the globe. Names of local military members who gave their lives on duty are etched into the statues along Avenue of the Flags at the Marin Civic Center complex.
Sean Stephens, the event’s master of ceremonies, is president of the Marin County United Veterans Council. He leads the Marin County Veterans Services Office, a division of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A U.S. Army combat veteran, Stephens works with his staff to assist military vets who need assistance filling out forms to receive benefits they’ve earned. Vets can get connected to mental health services, medical services, court-related services, social services, tuition aid at local colleges, pensions, military discounts, and death benefits for spouses of those who have served.
The Marin HHS Veterans Services is at 10 North San Pedro Road in San Rafael, along with the VA Vet Center on site to provide timely assistance to an estimated 10,000 veterans living in the county. Contact the office Mondays through Thursday by calling 415-473-6193 or visit the website.
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