BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A day to remember those who gave their lives in defense of this country and a time to recognize our aging population of veterans. Ahead of this Memorial Day, 23ABC's Mike Hart gives us a closer look at our local heroes.
During this special, 23ABC focuses on local veterans as we prepare to honor those who paid the ultimate price.
The number of veterans, especially from World War ll, has seen a sharp decline in recent years. In Kern County though, there are still thousands of aging veterans, according to the California Department of Veteran's Affairs.
As of January 2021, the VA has identified more than 42,000 veterans living in Kern County. Of that total, more than 2,900 are women. More than 10,000 veterans served during peacetime.
As for World War ll, there are nearly 3,400 World War ll veterans in the county. Another 4,600 from the Korean conflict.
There are 14,794 Vietnam veterans, the largest group.
9,300 veterans from the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi freedom.
This Memorial Day weekend, you can honor our fallen heroes through a series of events throughout the county. The Memorial Day in-person ceremony at Union Cemetery is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m. The Greenlawn Cemetery tribute will start at 11 a.m. at its northeast locations. The Bakersfield National Cemetery will hold a private small event due to COVID-19 restrictions. They will stream the event on Facebook starting at Noon.