The Carpinteria Unified School District honored its fallen heroes on Veteran’s Day with a tribute that will last 365 days a year.
Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium was officially dedicated on Wednesday to the 20 Warriors of the Armed Forces who have given their lives in service during a solemn ceremony at Carpinteria High School.
Several hundred gathered to witness the dedication, including relatives of the fallen, community figures, current students and veterans that are alumni.
Young Dead Soldiers, by Archibald MacLeish
The stadium, which seats 2,500, was built in 1999 and the CUSD put together a $1.25 million fundraising campaign to pay for its completion. The final step was the installation of three plaques lining the approach to the facility’s entrance. The first plaque lists the names of the 20 lost while in service and includes a poem called “Young Dead Soldiers,” by American poet Archibald McLeish, which was read at the ceremony by Jim Sirianni. The second two include the names of the donors who made the stadium possible.
Former Warrior football coach Lou Panizzon, who is a veteran of the Vietnam War, was the capital campaign director and thanked the crowd, saying he was “personally very gratified for the community support.”
Panizzon coached Carpinteria to four CIF titles from 1975 to 1989.
Chuck Thompson took the mic from Panizzon and thanked all the volunteers, foundations, local businesses and hundred of individual donors that “makes this thing a reality.”
Rear Admiral Marc Purcell
Rear Admiral Marc Purcell of the United State Navy, Class of 1971, gave the Keynote Address. Purcell likened the lessons learned on the high school playing field to the skills needed to succeed in the military and other professions.
“I will say I believe one of the most positive and significant changes in our lifetime has been that women now compete in sports from elementary school onward. That’s because sports matter in life,” he said.
Jack O'Connell, left, and Salud Carbajal
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell watched the ceremony with First District County Supervisor Salud Carbajal.
“In athletics, we learn to prepare, you learn to work hard,” O’Connell said afterwards, agreeing with Purcell’s speech. “To represent our country in service, you have to similarly learn to prepare, learn to work hard.”
CUSD Board of Trustees President Terry Hickey Banks followed Purcell by reading the resolution passed on Tuesday making the dedication official. ASB School President Megan McMahon took her turn at the podium, reading off each of the names found on the plaque along with the many close relatives in attendance.
Joyce Reed sang God Bless America in closing, accompanied by the Warrior band.
