People at Boyle Heights ceremony honor Latino and women veterans

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Families, students and veterans from East Los Angeles gathered in Boyle Heights Thursday morning to honor those from their community who have served in the United States military.

The Veteran's Day event was the first of its kind for the largely Latino community, but organizers hope the ceremony will become an annual tradition.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar and Rep. Lucille Roybald-Allard voiced their support for veterans serving at home and abroad, but the keynote speaker of the morning was Army Specialist Veronica Martinez. Martinez is a 2003 Torrance High School graduate and served in Iraq from March 2003 to November 2005.

She stood next to the Mexican American All Wars Monument on a stage draped in red, white and blue fabric. Even though she is back in her home state, she says her thoughts remain with her fellow service men and women working in oppressive desert heat while carrying heavy equipment and flak jackets.

"I'm not only here today to honor all my veterans, but to honor my women veterans," Martinez said. "Not only have we put our lives on hold, but we have left our families and some, our children behind, to serve in foreign wars."

This was an emotional day for Martinez, not only as a woman but also as a Latina.

"In the last couple weeks, I have learned about my history, about my Hispanic heritage as a U.S. veteran," Martinez said. "And what my uniform signifies historically is a battle for equality. I am a new generation of Hispanic veterans that will not be discriminated or looked down upon because of the color of my skin or of my features."

Currently, Martinez is on active reserve with the Army while she pursues a degree in business administration. Once she graduates, she would like to return to active duty as a second lieutenant.