Watsonville Celebrates Veterans Day 2025

VETERANS DAY 2025 WATSONVILLE CELEBRATES

Honoring the veterans of the year

Pair will be recognized at annual ceremony in

Mello Center

By Todd Guild OF THE PAJARONIAN

Ignacio Mata joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000 after a year at San Jose State University—coupled with three jobs he needed to support himself—sent him in a different direction.

Lannie Atkinson was inspired by his uncles who had served in the military, one during the Vietnam War. He was looking for a career in the military when he joined the U.S. Army in 1983.

Both men credit their military service for the lives they built for themselves, and the people they’ve become.

Mata is this year’s veteran of the year for the American Legion post 121. Atkinson, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post 1716, has received the same honor. They will be honored on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, during the annual

Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade, which this year will take place in the Henry J. Mello Center.

Ignacio Mata - VFW Veteran of the Year

Mata said his first year in college was difficult to manage with three jobs.

Signing up for the Marines felt like a natural choice, since he had long wanted to travel.

“I was feeling like I was teetering on the brink of dropping out, and after the first year I thought, ‘I don’t want to go back to Watsonville and be someone who never makes it to college,” he said. “I don’t regret it. It was a good decision; it exposed me to the world and something I had never seen before.”

Mata said that he learned from seeing other cultures where people live with fewer resources than his countrymen.

“It’s something we take for granted here,” he said.

He also discovered a truth that many people find when they see other parts of the world.

“People are beautiful everywhere,” he said. “It made my eyes open.”

During his time with the USMC, Mata served in Japan, Australia, Guam and Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., and was deployed to Iraq with the First Medical Battalion, which served as a shock trauma platoon, providing critical care to seriously wounded soldiers.

He then served in the same capacity in the U.S. National Guard.

Those experiences, and those of most military members, leave lasting and often damaging impressions on people, many of whom come home with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mata said.

“I saw things that people shouldn’t be seeing,” he said.

And that is why organizations such as the VFW are so important, since they provide a coterie of people with shared experiences who can relate to each other.

The problem, he said, is that many such organizations are suffering from flagging membership.

That means that some chapters could eventually close, meaning that the veterans would lose that connection.

“In order for us to keep our VFW going, we have to join,” he said. “If we don’t step up and we don’t take care of the place, who’s going to do it?”

After he got out of the National Guard in 2008, Mata worked in security for the Seaside Company, which owns the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, and as a bus driver with Santa Cruz Metro.

It was during the Covid pandemic, during which he was off for two-week periods, that he learned the art of candlemaking, which has become his career.

Soy Tank Candle Company sells its wares in his studio at 80 Airport Boulevard, at festivals and online at soytank.store.

“It keeps me busy; it helps me relax,” he said.

Lannie Atkinson - American Legion Veteran of the Year

Atkinson served in the U.S. Army from 1983-90, which he said had been a dream since he was 8.

He said his time with the service was such a life-changing event that he thinks everyone should do it.

And it can benefit people from all walks of life, he says, even those coming from areas where gangs and drugs are societal factors.

“When they saw someone give them respect and teach them and speak to them with respect, and understand and listen to them, it changed them,” Atkinson said.

That philosophy included leaders being in the trenches with those under their command.

“If you’re in charge of someone, be there with them doing it,” he said “Because it always meant more. When you got done, you’re dirty too, and they will work harder with you.”

Atkinson got an early start, completing basic training during the summer after his junior year of high school.

After graduating in 1984, he attended Dental Specialist/Dental Lab Tech training at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas.

He then entered active duty in 1985 for the Man-Portable Air Defense System (MANPADS) at Ft. Bliss, Texas.

After that, he was deployed to Bad Kissingen, Germany, with the 2nd

Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry (Black Horse Regiment). He followed this with a stateside deployment at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, with the 4th Calvalry Tank Battalion.

He was discharged with honors.

Like Mata, Atkinson worries about low numbers in the American Legion.

And losing such an organization means veterans would have fewer opportunities to discuss traumatic experiences with their brethren.

He now serves as Chaplain for the organization.

“Getting it out is important,” he says.

“It just builds up in you, and some of these people have seen some pretty rough combat duty. Those are the things that they need to get out. They want someone to know, and I want to let them know that I care.”

The American Legion post 121 is open to the public for breakfast on Sundays from 8am-12pm, and for dinner and karaoke on Fridays from 5-8pm.

“It built me from a scrawny young man to someone who was totally different when he got out, physically, emotionally, mentally,” he said of his time in the service. “It gave me structure.”

The Veterans Day Parade begins at 10am on Nov. 11 at St. Patrick’s Church at 721 Main Street. It then proceeds to the Mello Center at 250 E. Beach St. The ceremony begins at 11am sharp.

vet of Yr Lannie Atkinson Lannie Atkinson Vet of Yr, Ignacio Mata Ignacio Mata

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caption: Lannie Atkinson served in the U.S. Army. He now serves as chaplain for the American Legion in Watsonville, helping other veterans tell their stories. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

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A day to say ‘thank you’

Our country’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, who led us through the Civil War and helped preserve the Union, was a man who had strong admiration for those who serve in the military.

TODD GUILD MANAGING EDITOR

“Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause,” he said.

Veteran’s Day is a perfect time to take this sentiment to heart.

According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. Military had 1.32 million activeduty members. And according to the U.S Census Bureau, there are roughly 15.8 million veterans living in the country.

These are people who were either drafted or signed up for service, putting themselves in harm’s way by air, sea and

on land. Many are deployed to active combat zones, while others remain stateside or serve in other capacities to help keep the gargantuan system running smoothly.

All of them deserve respect for sacrificing a portion of their lives to this endeavor. One of the great honors I have as a reporter is talking to former military members, and hearing the stories of how their service has shaped them.

Often, these are stories of an evolution that includes dignity, honor, respect, discipline and personal growth that has followed them their entire lives.

And so on Veterans Day, I ask that you take the time to pause and think about the people who have made this commitment. And if you see a veteran, perhaps thank them for their service.

Watsonville celebrates veterans day 2025 pajaronian.com

THINKING ABOUT GETTING A NEW WOOD STOVE?

caption: GENERATIONS Walter Johnson, 91, First Lt., U.S. Army (195254), gets a helping hand in joining the Veterans Day parade in Watsonville in 2021.

(Tarmo Hannula/Pajaronian file)

modern wood stove, insert, or fireplace is an excellent choice as a primary source of heat for your home. Heating your home with a modern wood stove is both economical and eco-friendly, not to mention the bonus of coziness and beauty. While open, wood burning fireplaces do not generate a meaningful amount of heat, modern wood burning stoves, inserts, and fireplaces are intended to be used as the primary source of heat for your home. With overnight burn times and air controls, heating your home with wood is now simple and green.

ARE PEOPLE STILL ALLOWED TO HEAT WITH WOOD?

Yes! Because modern wood stoves are so clean burning and efficient, and because wood is a renewable fuel source, there’s even government incentives for investing in a wood stove or insert. There’s a federal tax credit for investing in a new wood stove or insert that began last year and goes through December 31, 2025.

IS HEATING YOUR HOUSE WITH WOOD ECO-FRIENDLY?

Heating your home with a modern wood stove is eco-friendly. Wood is a renewable fuel source, locally sourced and carbon neutral. Efficiency and clean burning go hand in hand. The pollution controls are what make a modern wood stove a better and more efficient heater. A very old wood stove or open, wood burning fireplace can produce 100 grams of emissions per hour. Particulate emissions are fuel going up the chimney and polluting the air, instead of being turned into heat for your home. Modern wood fireplaces have pollution controls that burn those particulate emissions inside the stove, so that what’s coming out the chimney is mostly steam. All modern, EPA certified wood stoves emit less than 2 grams of emissions per hour.

PROJECT COST

Different options for brand and material, along with variables with installation make it so there is a wide range of cost for getting a wood stove. Your local fireplace store will be able to give you specific pricing,

so that you know exactly how much the project will be before you commit to moving forward. With the tax credit that’s happening, now is a great time to invest.

HOW TO GET STARTED

Stop by your local fireplace store and have an industry professional help you pick the right wood stove for you. It’s good to be prepared with the approximate square footage of the space you’re heating. Photos are also helpful, especially if you’re interested in getting an insert. While in the showroom you can look at displays and make choices about which options will be best for you and your home. If you need an installer, a professional installer will then come to your home for a site check. They will put together your pipe list, make sure everything will fit and look nice, then give you an exact bid for installation.

RETAILER

There are many decisions to be made when choosing a fireplace. These decisions can be made easier by working with a great local retailer. The best stores

space!

will have knowledge-able, experienced staff who can help walk you through the project. They’ll be able to provide technical advice, or connect you with a qualified, experienced installer if needed. The store you choose to do business with will help you with post-installation service and answer any questions that come up. A high-quality fire-place is built to last 20-25 years, so the folks you choose to work with are people you’ll be connected to for years to come.

Please consider choosing Woodstove & Sun to help you with your fireplace or outdoor living needs. We offer wood, gas, pellet and electric stoves, fireplaces and inserts, as well as Polywood outdoor furniture, kitchens, grills, fire pits, pizza ovens, and umbrellas.

Our showroom is located at 510 Soquel Ave in Santa Cruz. Please call, email or stop by! Our friendly staff will be happy to help you and answer any further questions you may have to begin this process. We can be reached at (831) 425-5123 and woodstoveandsun@gmail.com. ■

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

NOVEMBER 9TH | 1PM 4PM

RINGS | LOCAL VENDORS | LIVE MUSIC

mbers Receive 4 Complimentary Tickets