Veterans to Receive Posthumous Honors in Ventura

The families of 41 local veterans will gather at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura on Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones with a formal military honors ceremony.

Carl V. Wade of Ventura, a retired Navy chief warrant officer, has started a local branch of the 1st U.S. Volunteers, a nonprofit charity affiliated with the Army that traces its history back to Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.

A primary mission of the group is to provide final honors to those who served their country.

About 95% of the people to be recognized at this weekend’s event are from Ventura County. And nearly half of those are buried at Ivy Lawn, said Terri Taylor Gonzalez, the cemetery’s general manager. Her father, Oxnard native Carl Taylor, who is buried in his hometown, will be among those whose names are on the group’s introductory honor roll.

Taylor Gonzalez said her father was amused that he joined the Navy a half century ago to see the world but was stationed in Port Hueneme with the Seabees. He died 13 years ago, but Taylor Gonzalez said she didn’t know until Wade informed her that he -- and all other honorably discharged veterans -- were eligible for a military ceremony.

“This grew bigger than either one of us would have thought,” said Wade, adding that he already has the names of six veterans to be memorialized at the next ceremony, which will probably be held in the fall.

The program will include an invocation and prayer by the chaplain from Navy Base Ventura County, a rifle salute, taps and the symbolic presentation of a folded flag to the more than 150 family members and loved ones expected to attend.

The 2 p.m. memorial service will be at 5400 Valentine Road in Ventura. For information about honoring other deceased veterans, contact Taylor Gonzalez at 642-1055. To learn more about the 1st U.S. Volunteers, call Wade at 647-8784.