Veterans and local residents converged on the new Veterans Advocates of Ore-Ida headquarters in Ontario Saturday, May 18, for a special ceremony. The event was the official open house for the new building.
While patriotism was an obvious theme of the ceremony, the sacrifice made by combat veterans was also under the spotlight.
Ron Verini, Veterans Advocates of Ore-Ida chairman and president, welcomed the crowd to the ceremony.
Verini (center) along with Janice Page (left) and Ontario Chamber of Commerce member Debbie Blackaby (right) prepare for the official ribbon cutting at the Saturday ceremony. Page is the mother of the late Josh Brennan, an Ontario High School graduate who was killed in action in Afghanistan.
The Snake River Correctional Institution’s Honor Guard opened the ceremony with the posting of the colors.
Verini lauded the service of veterans and told the crowd that Veterans Advocates of Ore-Ida is an organization that is open to all.