Veterans Day Program
November 11th
El Toro Memorial Park
11:00 am

We are excited to announce that Retired U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Lake Forest Mayor, Robert Pequeño will be the keynote speaker at El Toro Memorial Park's 33rd Annual Veterans Day Program.  The free event will take place on Friday, November 11th at 11:00 a.m.  

Mayor Pequeño served in the U.S. Marine Corps for over 21 years. He first enlisted in June 1983 and by June 1999 he had achieved the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. In January 2003, he was deployed for a second time to Kuwait and was the Acting Sergeant Major for the Advance Party.  On March 20th, Operation Iraqi Freedom began. He returned to the U.S. in November 2003 and retired from service in August 2004. 

After leaving the Marine Corps, Mayor Pequeño went on to serve with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and became the first-ever Homeless Liaison Officer, bringing innovative solutions to homelessness in Orange County.  He retired from the Sheriff’s Department in March of 2020 as a Sergeant and was elected to the Lake Forest City Council in November 2020. 

The ceremony will also feature a color guard provided by the South Coast Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, the recognition of Veterans and Blue and Gold Star Mothers, a wreath presentation by representatives from local cities, and an honor guard firing salute provided by VFW Edward J. Kearns Post 6024. Local vocalist John Huntington will perform throughout the program.  The poignant refrains of “Amazing Grace” will be played on the bagpipes by Richard Cook.  

The program will be held outdoors rain or shine. We encourage the public to attend and show their appreciation to all the veterans for their sacrifice and service.  

For questions regarding the Veterans Day Program, please contact the District office at (949) 951-9102.