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Veterans, troops honored in Memorial Day ceremonies
"I'm not really a speaker; I'm a Navy man," Joe Richter said at Monday's Memorial Day ceremony at Woodbridge Masonic Cemetery.
Modest as he was, Richter was in the middle of the action when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
"I think I saw the first plane come through," Richter said. "In five minutes, you couldn't see anything."
Richter, the guest speaker at the Woodbridge ceremony, said he was a scared 21-year-old, as he told a brief story about the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
While veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan are usually spotlighted, emcee Pete Gonzales of the Lodi Elks Lodge also acknowledged veterans who fought in Granada, Panama, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo.
The Lodi Community Band, conducted by Bob Gross, performed patriotic tunes.
The Woodbridge ceremony was one of six held in the Lodi area to honor people who gave their lives to protect the United States. Ceremonies were also held Monday at Cherokee Memorial Park, Lodi Memorial Cemetery, Harmony Grove Cemetery in Lockeford, Glenview Cemetery in Clements and Galt Cemetery.

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, and San Joaquin veterans service officer Ron Green were the guest speakers at Lodi Memorial Cemetery.
U.S. Navy Capt. Charles R. Roots was the guest speaker at the Cherokee service, which featured 968 large veterans' flags and 6,082 small graveside flags marking the veterans' burial sites at Cherokee. There was also a field of flags in memory of the 4,374 soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Lockeford and Clements, the Lockeford Veterans of Foreign Wars conducted services. Kevin Young, president of the Clements-Lockeford Lions Club, and VFW Post Commander Steve Jackson spoke.
And in Galt, Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli and Galt City Councilwoman Barbara Payne were guest speakers at a service conducted by the Galt VFW. The Galt Community Choir Quartet also performed.
Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

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