San Rafael, CA – Marin County’s Veterans Services Officer, Sean Stephens, will serve a keynote speaker for Marin County’s annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 at the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael.
Stephens, a Greenbrae resident, entered U.S. Army basic training at age 36 when his life was at a crossroads (today the maximum basic training age is 35). He completed four tours in Afghanistan – one with the 29th Infantry Battalion out of Arizona, one with the 101st Airborne Division, and the final two with the 25th Infantry Division unit out of Alaska.
Since he returned from his last deployment in March 2010, he has worked for the County of Marin assisting other veterans. Now 47 years old, Stephens serves as the County Veterans Services Officer and is a member of the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center Veteran and Family Advisory Council. He is an expert in helping vets obtain federal benefits, readjust to society after tours of duty, cope with post-traumatic stress, understand health care options and learn about job placement choices.
The annual Veterans Day event, presented by the Marin County United Veterans Council and sponsored by the County of Marin, honors all Americans who served in in the line of duty with our military forces, with a special emphasis on Marin’s own heroes. Event officials are actively seeking veterans from recent overseas conflicts in the Middle East to take part in the ceremony and become active in veterans affairs in Marin.
The ceremony will feature the voice of renowned Marin County entertainer Susan Zelinsky and patriotic marches played by the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Non-Marching Band, aka the Sewer Band. Cadets from the House of Steel gym in San Rafael, led by Lt. Gregory Allen (USMC, Ret.), will participate as a color guard and drill team and receive assistance from Novato-based U.S. Air Force Junior ROTC cadets.
After the indoor ceremony, the program continues outdoors in front of the memorial statues on the Avenue of the Flags. A moment of silence will be observed at 11:11 a.m. to correspond with the 96th anniversary of the World War I armistice agreement. Wreaths will be laid at the foot of the statues to honor fallen comrades. Doughnuts and coffee, courtesy of American Legion Auxiliary Post 179, will be served in the Redwood Foyer of the Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium after the outdoor event.
The ceremony begins with music at 9:30 a.m., and the ceremony begins at 10. For more information, contact Ray Mullin of the Marin United Veterans Council at rayzer44@yahoo.com.