2026 Veterans Day Ceremony
Annual Events
Special Thanks
- Tom Hunt, Director, Ventura County General Services Agency
- General Services Agency Staff
- Sea Cadet Trident Patrol 65
- Scouting America
- Katie Phillipson
- John Ficken
- Lyn Fairly
- Heavenly Doves by Pepe Gonzalez
- Luna’s Party Rentals
- Gold Coast Veterans Foundation Staff & Volunteers
Sponsors & Donors
2026 Veteran Honorees
Jim Monahan, U.S. Army
Jim Monahan is a native of Ventura and a longtime community leader, business owner, former mayor, and founding member of the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation. He has also been an active member of the Ventura County Elks, American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Drafted into the United States Army, Jim served with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Korean War. He traveled to Korea aboard a slow boat, arriving on Christmas Eve, and then changed into a Korean uniform before boarding a train to Busan. During his two years of service, he was responsible for gear, personnel, and amenities before returning home aboard the USS Pope. Among his many honors, Jim received the General George Washington Excellence in Leadership Award.
Jim has also made a lasting contribution to our local veteran community. Working with the State of California, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 952, and the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation, he helped construct this Veterans memorial site. He also worked to build the Ventura Veterans Home.
We are proud to honor Jim not only for his military service, but also for his enduring commitment to veterans and our local community.
Ray Flores, U.S. Marine Corps.
Ray Flores was born and raised in Ventura, California, where he grew up playing baseball and basketball. In 1951, at just 19 years old, Ray enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the suggestion of a friend. After completing boot camp and infantry training, Ray was assigned to a heavy weapons unit, where he became a machine gunner. In early 1952, he was sent to Korea with the 1st Marine Division. He served on the front lines during some of the most difficult fighting of the Korean War, enduring bitter cold and combat conditions along the main line.
In August 1952, Ray fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the fiercest close combat engagements of the Korean War. He returned home to California after three years of service and rarely spoke about his wartime experiences, even with his family.
Decades later, with the encouragement of fellow veterans, Ray applied for and received the Purple Heart he had earned for his combat wounds. Ray went on to devote much of his life to his family, community, and fellow veterans, including serving with a veterans honor guard in Paradise, California.
We honor Ray Flores for his courage, his service, and the sacrifices he made as a young Marine whose life was forever changed by his combat service in Korea.
Pete Kimbrell, U.S. Navy
Pete Kimbrell joined the United States Navy on November 3, 1950. After initial training, he was assigned to VF-94 at Naval Air Station Alameda, where he served as a plane captain on the venerable F4U Corsair, responsible for keeping his aircraft flight-ready and working alongside its pilots and maintenance crews.
Pete deployed to the Korean War aboard the USS VALLEY FORGE, spending nine months supporting combat air operations in the Sea of Japan. He completed additional training at Fallon, Nevada, and El Centro, California. Pete then embarked on a second combat deployment to Korea aboard the USS BOXER, as an Aviation Electrician. He completed his active Navy service in September 1954.
Pete went on to a 38-year career in aviation-related federal service, working at Nellis Air Force Base, Edwards Air Force Base, and Naval Air Station Point Mugu. Although he retired from federal service in 1992, Pete’s commitment to aviation and national defense did not end there. He remained involved in aviation for another decade, including special operations projects during the early phase of the Global War on Terror.
We honor Pete Kimbrell for his five decades of service to our nation and his lifelong dedication to aviation.
Darrell Evans, U.S. Air Force.
Darrell Evans enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1947 at the age of 17, beginning his military career during a pivotal moment in the history of the armed forces. On September 18, 1947, while he was in basic training, the Army Air Corps officially transitioned into the newly established United States Air Force.
Darrell completed his training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, before being assigned to Roswell Air Force Base in New Mexico. Following radio school, where he trained as both a radio operator and technician, he was assigned to the bombing range, where he served as the NCO in charge of bomb-target operations.
Darrell completed his service in 1951 and went on to a civilian career as an architectural draftsman, working for firms including Parsons Engineering. Darrell and his family moved to Camarillo 42 years ago.
We honor Darrell Evans for answering the call to serve at just 17 years old, and for being part of the formative years of the United States Air Force.
Petty Officer First Class Garrit Speckhard — U.S. Coast Guard
Petty Officer First Class Garrit Speckhard is a fifth-generation member of the United States military, with 13 years of dedicated service in the U.S. Coast Guard. He currently serves as the Operations Petty Officer at Coast Guard Station Channel Islands, conducting search and rescue, law enforcement, and drug interdiction missions. During his career, he also served for a year with a Maritime Force Protection Unit, protecting moving security zones for Ohio-class submarines. He continues to serve his fellow service members as a volunteer Victim Advocate, providing critical support to those affected by assault.
Today, Petty Officer Speckhard accepts the Coast Guard flag on behalf of his grandfather, our honoree, John Walsh.
John served during the Korean War from January 10, 1951, to January 9, 1955, and was stationed in the Marshall Islands, where he serviced WB-29 aircraft that conducted atomic cloud sampling. John Walsh passed away on October 27, 2019. We honor his service and his memory today.
A Note on the Coast Guard’s Role in the Korean War:
Thanks in part to the critical peacetime role the United States Coast Guard had assumed by 1946—including training and preparing the South Korean Navy before the war—the Coast Guard was uniquely positioned to support U.S. forces during the Korean War.
Special Recognition: Lyn Fairly
Lyn Fairly served as the emcee of this Veterans Day event for the last 15 years.
Lyn comes from a military family. Her great-grandfather fought in the American Revolution, her father served in the U.S. Coast Guard, and her little brother served in the U.S. Air Force. She has been a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution for 23 years, and she currently volunteers with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
You may remember Lyn from her popular radio show on KVTA 1590, where she often focused on the many military and government organizations in Ventura County. The City of Camarillo also honored her as Master of Ceremonies for the Vietnam Veterans Panel, hosted by the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation.