How SLO County marked Veterans Day 2026

No matter where or when they served or what occupation they filled, what job they did, they were all important. They stood up for the rest of us. For veterans, this day is more than a holiday. It's a time for affirmation and reflection. So I served in the Marine Corps for nearly eight years. My name is Nathan Pino. I was a sergeant in the Marine Corps. I served as a military working dog handler and a chief trainer. Yeah. Since I got out of the military in December 2023, I've been back here in San Luis Obispo County, where I'm from, and I got involved with a program called New Life Canines, which their primary mission is to provide service dogs to veterans. What Veterans Day means to me is to celebrate all veterans, you know, in the past who served in this country. They're all well deserving of some recognition and honor this day. It's especially important to me because I have grandparents who served in the military, I have my father who was also a Marine who served, so it's a lot more close connected to me and how I view it. So I think the biggest challenges today, you know, with veterans is simply the transition out of the military back into civilian life. Thankfully there's a lot of programs here in San Luis Obispo that help with that transition, but simply that's part of the biggest challenge for veterans is getting back to civilian life, going back to school, going back to a job, you know, and for people to recognize their accomplishments in the military and how How that can translate into the civilian world.