On Sat., Sept. 10, I had the pleasure of attending a Military Family Appreciation Day event at Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks, hosted by Assemblywoman Audra Strickland and the Hogan Family Foundation.   The afternoon not only honored our men and women in uniform and our fallen heroes, it also gave thanks to the families of our troops by allowing us a chance to meet other military families, and learn of the many organizations that support the troops and those of us who await their return.   The program included presentation of the colors by Boy Scout Troop No. 753, Cmdr. Carolynn Snyder of the U.S. Navy sang the national anthem and Capt. Dale Dye (USMC-Ret.) was the keynote speaker.

Assemblywoman Strickland recognized many of our Ventura County military families by presenting certificates from the California state Assembly. Certificates of recognition were also presented from the cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley.

While there will be an empty chair at many of our holiday celebrations this year, we now know that we have the support of our elected officials and the ongoing support of many volunteer organizations.   Thank you, Assemblywoman Strickland, for organizing this wonderful afternoon. Marie Garside, Mother of a deployed soldier Simi Valley