Veteran honor, faithfulness and recognition with ingenuity during the COVID-19 Restrictions

Shoreline Veterans Recognition Plaza
Photo by Jerry Pickard

Saturday, May 16, 2020 was a National Holiday that only few citizens were aware of, remembered or cared to recognize in some manner. Saturday also marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of Armed Forces Day.

Armed Forces Day started as a celebration of the five branches of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. It is now joined by the newly created Space Force. The day honors all men and women serving in the Armed Forces and those who have served our country in these service branches, including the National Guard and Reserve components.

A Veteran’s Recognition Plaza (VRP) was established and dedicated in 2016 by veterans in a newly formed Shoreline Veteran’s Association (SVA) with cooperation of the King County Council, City of Shoreline, Shoreline businesses and interested individuals.

Photo by Jerry Pickard

The Plaza is situated adjacent to the Shoreline City Hall and Council Chambers. It is a Plaza of Recognition of all the Armed Forces with sturdy, beautiful four foot high obelisks that support the individual branch of service flags placed there on national and patriotic holidays.

It is situated with memorial park benches, and spaces for over 1000 Bricks of Remembrance of those Shoreline and surrounding area citizens and family members who are currently serving or have served in the Armed Forces of the United States.

During the current restrictions on official gatherings, the SVA and local area veterans were unable to conducting any ceremony or gatherings at the Plaza as in previous years. But the Plaza was open for individuals and immediate family members from the same household to visit the Plaza with social distancing and wearing recommended PPE.

Photo by Jerry Pickard

Enter military (veteran) ingenuity, and faithfulness for honoring the Armed Forces. Individual veteran and current service member volunteers showed up at the VRP on Saturday, in proper PPE and placed their service flags in the obelisks of their service, by a solo flag carrier and escort from each of the Armed Forces. 

All other individuals were on the public sidewalk at 6-foot social distancing and PPE in observance of this brief flag placement. The veterans, current service members and their family members were very happy they could honor those in the Armed Forces, despite current social/public restrictions.

--Shoreline Veterans Association