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Santa Barbara, CA, May 19, 2025 – The Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 have announced the details of their popular annual Memorial Day ceremony taking place on May 26th, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Drive.
This free event honors men and women who have proudly served in the United States military. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early in order to secure a seat. Plenty of free parking will be available on-site. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. sharp near the cemetery’s main flagpole. This year’s program will feature presentations and performances by local groups such as the UCSB ROTC Color Guard, Gold Coast Pipe & Drum Band, David Gonzales and the Santa Barbara Choral Society, and The Prime Time Band.
The event’s keynote speaker will be Captain Charlie Plumb, a former U.S. fighter pilot and six-year prisoner of war. He started his naval career at the Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego where he flew the first adversarial flights in the development of what would be called The Navy Fighter Weapons School, now known as “Top Gun.” He later served in the Vietnam War, completing 74 successful combat missions flying the F-4 Phantom jet. During his 75th mission, five days before he was scheduled to return home, he was shot down over Hanoi, captured, then tortured and imprisoned for the next 2,103 days.
After his release from captivity, Plumb continued to serve in the Navy flying in reserve squadrons until he retired with the rank of captain after 31 years of service. Today, Plumb shares his story of overcoming hardship and developing resilience with audiences around the world. He shares strategies on how to cope with life’s challenges, how to find the positive in difficult circumstances, and how to hold onto hope no matter what.
At the conclusion of the Memorial Day ceremony, The Condor Squadron will perform a flyover in restored North American Aviation At-6/SNJ trainers originally flown during World War II.
