Fallen Soldier's Father To Speak At A Bay Area Memorial Day Ceremony

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The father of a soldier who died in Iraq in 2006 will be the keynote speaker at the Memorial Day ceremony Monday in San Rafael.

Sergeant First Class Kevin Graves, a California State Guard Chaplain Assistant and the father of a fallen U.S. Army soldier, will speak at 10 a.m. May 26 at the exhibit hall at the Marin County Fairgrounds.

Army Specialist Joseph A. Graves was killed on July 25, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq. Since his death, Kevin Graves, who worked in construction for 30 years, channeled his energy into joining the California State Guard where he is assigned to the 185th Military Police Battalion in Pittsburg and founded a nonprofit.

Some Gave All - Joey Graves Foundation, is a nonprofit dedicated to providing healing to families of dead soldiers and draws attention to their sacrifices.

Every year, the Marin County United Veterans Council, which represents local military family support groups and veterans organizations, hosts and leads the ceremony honoring servicemembers who lost their lives in conflicts.

The doors open at 9 a.m. and at 9:30 a.m., the Marin Sewer Band, also known as the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Nonmarching Band, will play 30 minutes of traditional patriotic and military music.

The ceremony will also feature performances by the Marin Golden Gate Barbershop Chorus, a U.S. Air Force Honor Guard color presentation, a bagpiper, and a chaplain for invocation and benediction. Additionally, it will include ceremonial wreath placements and recognition of local officials and veterans' representatives.

The end of the ceremony will include Vietnam Combat Veteran Kermit Kubitz reading the Gettysburg Address and a rendition of “Taps” will conclude the event.

Along Avenue of the Flags at the Marin Civic Center complex, names of local military members who gave their lives on duty are etched into the statues.