San Bernardino Salutes Its Veterans
San Bernardino residents and civic leaders gathered on Monday, November 11 to honor the men and women who have served our nation in the armed services in a heartfelt Veterans Day ceremony held at Feldheym Library.
As part of the ceremony, two local veterans, Army and Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Irma Proffitt and Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Jeffrey Feller were recognized as this year's hometown heroes.
In a gesture of gratitude, all veterans in attendance were presented with a challenge coin marking the occasion by Mayor Helen Tran, Council member Damon Alexander, Congressman Pete Aguilar, and Supervisor Joe Baca Jr.
A graduate of CSUSB, SSG Irma Proffitt worked as an Instructional Assistant with the San Bernardino City Unified School District prior to being deployed to Iraq. She dedicated over 23 years to military service with both the U.S. Army and Army National Guard, completing three tours in Iraq. After retiring from the military in 2009, she has been an active member of San Bernardino's Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 12,
San Bernardino resident and Senior Master Sergeant Jeffrey Feller enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1990. He reached the prestigious enlisted rank of Senior Master Sergeant and served 24 years.
While in the Air Force, SMSgt Jeffrey Feller served as a Security Forces member and was a member of a specially trained group of security forces called the Phoenix Ravens. As part of this team, he provided force protection for aircraft in locations with high terrorist and criminal threat levels.
SMSgt Feller served in multiple operational theaters during wartime, including Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Nobel Eagle. He is a recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal.
The event was organized by the San Bernardino Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department.
Happy Veterans Day to all who served our country in the armed services!
