<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4YIfxU_1H5ywasV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4YIfxU_1H5ywasV00" width="1280" height="840" ><figcaption>During the Orange Cove Branch Library’s Veteran’s Day celebration on Nov. 12, 2026, attendees view presentation boards with photos and names of veterans who have lived in Orange Cove at some point in their lives. (Jon Acevedo)</figcaption></figure>ORANGE COVE – After months of research, outreach and organization, library staff hosted visitors for a night of recognition for local veterans both past and present. On the evening of Nov. 12, community members gathered at the Orange Cove Branch Library for a Veteran’s Day celebration. Organized in large part by Library Assistant Gail Dahl, the event saw a program lined with patriotic customs, a guest speaker and a video displaying the names and photos of more than 1,2000 veterans that lived in Orange Cove at some point in their lives.Dahl said in an interview that gathering the names was a “labor of love,” as she spent months scouring archived newspapers, cemetery records, genealogy services like Ancestry and more in order to find them. Having grown up in Orange Cove, she said she was surprised to discover how many veterans have ties to the city.“This was a town of 3,000 (people) when I was a child, and to see all of those names, I’m just blown away,” said Dahl. “I’m looking in those old newspapers and I’m like, ‘I know him, and I know him … I didn’t know he served, or I didn’t know she served.’”The event opened with a flag salute led by members of Reedley’s NJROTC program, which was followed by a brief performance of patriotic anthems from local students. After the opening fanfare, attendees gave their attention to guest speaker Chuck Shaheen, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former Orange Cove resident. In his presentation, Shaheen recounted his early days in Orange Cove, his journey to joining the Air Force and the numerous missions throughout his career, including an instance where he and another pilot were shot down during a mission.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=02DgJw_1H5ywasV00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=02DgJw_1H5ywasV00" width="1700" height="1115" ><figcaption>Veteran and former Orange Cove resident Chuck Shaheen serves as the guest speaker during the Orange Cove Branch Library’s Veteran’s Day celebration on Nov. 12, 2026. (Jon Acevedo)</figcaption></figure>“The military made men out of boys,” said Shaheen to the audience. “It gave us discipline, taught us hygiene, how to act and how to perform. It gave us all direction and confidence in ourselves, and those experiences not only stayed with us, but the camaraderie and friendship lasted a lifetime.”After Shaheen’s speech, volunteers greeted some of the veterans present to give them gift bags that contained a stamped wooden keychain and a bookmark, each covered in designs thanking veterans for their service. To close out the night, attendees took their seats in the library’s meeting room for a 24-minute video showcasing all of the names, photos and years of life gathered by Dahl for the event. Reflecting on all of the work that went into this year’s celebration, Dahl said the work is far from over, and expressed excitement in bringing the event back next year. “I know there’s got to be more (veterans) that I missed, and I feel like I have missed some important people,” Dahl said. “This is going to be an ongoing project because we wouldn’t have what we have in our country if it wasn’t for our veterans, and as a mom of a veteran, it hits you in the heart and I want them to know that they are appreciated and not forgotten.”</div></body>

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ORANGE COVE – After months of research, outreach and organization, library staff hosted visitors for a night of recognition for local veterans both past and present. On the evening of Nov. 12, community members gathered at the Orange Cove Branch Library for a Veteran’s Day celebration. Organized in large part by Library Assistant Gail Dahl, the event saw a program lined with patriotic customs, a guest speaker and a video displaying the names and photos of more than 1,2000 veterans that lived in Orange Cove at some point in their lives.

Orange Cove Library honors local veterans

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ORANGE COVE – After months of research, outreach and organization, library staff hosted visitors for a night of recognition for local veterans both past an

Orange Cove Library honors local veterans

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