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Contact: Bob Cromwell, Acting Chief Ranger, 360-816-6253
The Community Military Appreciation Committee (CMAC) will present Vancouver's Memorial Day Observance Ceremony on Monday, May 30, 2016 at 11 am at the Bandstand on the historic Parade Ground at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. In conjunction with this event, the National Park Service at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will host the popular Soldiers' Bivouac living history encampment from 10 am to 2 pm. CMAC has organized this event with help from its partners - the City of Vancouver, the National Park Service at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, the Fort Vancouver National Trust, the Armed Forces Reserve Center, and 40 et 8 for the past eight years. "First established by the U.S. Army in 1849, there are few places in the Pacific Northwest with as rich of a military tradition as Vancouver Barracks," said Acting Chief Ranger Bob Cromwell. "It is the honor of the National Park Service to host this annual event honoring our nation's fallen military heroes, and specifically those from Clark County," said Cromwell. "We appreciate working with the National Park Service and other partners on this event every year, and for the event sponsorship from Waste Connections," said Dan Tarbell, Co-Chair of the CMAC. "I agree, the partnership and sponsorship opportunities we have throughout this community seem to strengthen with every year," said Larry Smith, Co-Chair of CMAC. This year's keynote speaker for the event will be Lt. Colonel Brad Aiello, United States Marine Corps 6th Engineer Support Battalion. A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, the Lt. Colonel was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1995. As part of the 24th MEU, Lt. Colonel Aiello deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in 1998, conducting both combat and humanitarian assistance operations during the Kosovo Campaign. He was promoted to Captain in June 1999 and posted to the Marine Corps Security Force Company protecting the Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific aboard Naval Submarine Base Bangor near Silverdale, Washington. Deployed to Kuwait in February 2003, Bravo Company was attached to the 5th Marines and participated in combat operations supporting all five maneuver battalions of Regimental Combat Team 5 during the invasion of Iraq. Aiello deployed in January 2009 to Baghdad, where he served as the Senior Advisor to the Director of Military Engineering, Iraqi Joint Headquarters, in the Iraq Ministry of Defense. He returned from overseas in June 2011, and was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps at the Pentagon as the Aviation Ground Support Requirements Officer and Marine Wing Support Squadron Advocate on the staff of the Deputy Commandant for Aviation. He was promoted to his present rank on October 1, 2011. Free public parking for the event will be at Hudson's Bay High School, 1601 E. McLoughlin Boulevard, and C-Tran will be providing free shuttle bus service between the high school parking lot and the event site. The event has been generously sponsored by Waste Connections for the last six years and will be emceed by CMAC members. CMAC is an all-inclusive group composed of members representing youth, education, civic, military, veterans groups, and local governments. CMAC executes and plans community-wide events, such as the Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Our Community Salutes, and POW/MIA Day ceremonies, as well as recognition/support of our military families of all services. |
Last updated: May 13, 2016