Cypress Village hosted their annual Veterans Day dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
There were more than 130 veterans and spouses in attendance. Roger Argalas, head of the Veterans Committee at Cypress Village, welcomed guests to the dinner and thanked the veterans for their service.
“We want to recognize and celebrate the contributions of those who have served honorably in our nations armed forces,” he said.
Argalas also thanked the spouses and surviving spouses who were present. Currently, at Cypress Village there are more than 280 spouses and surviving spouses of veterans.
One of the highlights of the program was the presentation of the prisoners-of-war/missing-in-action (POW/MIA) table by Ned Sugzdinis, another member of the Veterans Committee. Sugzdinis explained the meaning of the table and the symbolism of the items on it. There was a white tablecloth on the table to represent the purity of the intentions of the POW/MIA veterans in their intent to respond to their country’s call to arms. There was a black napkin on the table that represented the sorrow of captivity, and a single red rose that signified the blood that was shed by many to ensure the freedom of the United States of America. There was salt sprinkled on the plate that was on the table which represented the fallen tears of family members, and there was one empty chair at the table to signify a placeholder for the prisoners of war and the missing in action.
After the presentation of the POW/MIA table, Taps was played to remember the sacrifices of the veterans not present.
There are 6,600 World War II veterans still alive today and five of them reside at Cypress Village. Two of them were present at the dinner representing the U.S. Navy, Army and Airforce.
This year’s dinner was even more special because it marked the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. There were five Korean War veterans present at the dinner representing the U.S. Navy, Army and Marine Corps.
Cypress Village is dedicated to honoring the veterans who have served our country.
“We all share a love for our country and take pride in our service years,” said Argalas.
