Daedalians hold Veterans Day service at Riverside Cemetery Published Nov. 23, 2009 By Megan Just 452 AMW Public Affairs MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. -- The Thirtieth Flight of the Order of the Daedalians held a Veterans Day Memorial Service Nov. 11 at the reflecting pool at the Riverside National Cemetery. 452nd Air Mobility Wing commander Brig. Gen. James Melin was the guest speaker at the service. He spoke of the importance of always remembering the veterans who have passed away. He also noted the increase in the number of young people at this year's event. "It is our opportunity to show them the respect, the dignity and the honor we show to people who have served our country," General Melin said. A March Blue Eagles Total Force Honor Guard team posted the colors, gave a rifle salute, and played taps at the ceremony. The ceremony also included a roll call of departed Daedalian brothers, a placing of a wreath, and a missing man flyover. Col. Raymond Butler (ret.), former 452 AMW Medical Group commander, played bagpipes at the service. The Veterans Day Memorial Service is an annual tradition for the Thirtieth Flight, which includes 224 members from the Inland Empire. This year's service was the 28th for the flight. "It's our way of remembering the members of our flight that have passed away in the last year," said Lt. Col. Al Strzemieczny (ret.), a member of the Thirtieth Flight and a former chief of the B-1 Division of Fifteenth Air Force at March. Twelve members of the Thirtieth Flight passed away in 2009. Many of the members' widows were present at the service. After the ceremony, the group held a luncheon at the Hap Arnold Club. Colonel Strzemieczny described the Order of the Daedalians as, "an organization of military trained pilots--active, reserve, retired--who went through military flight training and earned their wings." There are pilots representing all five branches of service in the local chapter of the Daedalians.