Saturday morning’s Veterans Day ceremony drew more than 250 veterans and supporters to the Santa Barbara Cemetery for keynote speeches, wreath presentations, military aircraft flyovers and bagpipes. 
Veterans and guests take photos and wave to planes flying over during Saturday’s Veterans Day ceremony at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. 
Two flyovers drew waves of appreciation. 
A Navy veteran salutes during the ceremony. 
Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Max Peck expresses gratitude for his fellow veterans. “We honor those who answered the call of duty when our country needed us the most, whether you were drafted or voluntarily went,” he says. “On this day, my heart swells with pride.” 
Retired Army Capt. Joe Danely tells the gathering that “it’s a privilege to stand before you to honor all veterans from all wars, and all branches of the armed forces.” 
The opening call of bagpipers broke the silence.
More than 250 community members gathered at the Santa Barbara Cemetery on Saturday morning to honor military veterans with a traditional Veterans Day ceremony.
The crowd stood at attention, breathing in crisp November air under a bright sunny sky. They saluted or placed their hands over their hearts as David Gonzales, a retired Santa Barbara police sergeant, sang the National Anthem.
Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Max Peck, a UC Santa Barbara alumnus, was a keynote speaker.
“Today marks a special day — it gives us a chance to honor the men and women who served our country,” he said. “We honor those who answered the call of duty when our country needed us the most, whether you were drafted or voluntarily went.
“On this day, my heart swells with pride.”
Retired Army Capt. Joe Danely also spoke.
“It’s a privilege to stand before you to honor all veterans from all wars, and all branches of the armed forces,” he told the assembly. “I want to thank the spouses of veterans and significant others. Just as our families have supported our veterans, we must continue to support them after they leave the military.
“They protected us and now we must protect and support them.”
After graduating from UCSB, Danely enlisted in the Army.
Saturday’s ceremony also included a wreath presentation, and the commemoration came to a close with an arrangement of the aircraft diamond formation and a missing-man formation flyover.
The Santa Barbara gathering was hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 and the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation.
Click here for coverage of North County Veterans Day observances.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
