Murrieta Honors its Military Moms with Special Brunch

Jane Gonzales and Michelle Zimel met on a Facebook page for Air Force moms and found they had some key things in common. Both women live in Murrieta and both have young adult children in the United States Air Force.

They became friends and decided to attend the City of Murrieta’s second annual Salute to Military Mothers brunch on Monday at the Murrieta Public Library.

“This is amazing. This is my first experience being in a military family,” said Zimel, whose 19-year-old son, Landon McCourt, recently joined the Air Force. Her other son Jason, who graduated last Friday from Great Oak High School, also joined the Air Force and leaves for basic training in July, Zimel said.

The local women were among almost 30 military moms who turned out Monday morning at the library’s Garden of Verses for the special Memorial Day celebration. The event honored moms in the military or mothers whose children and spouses are serving in the Armed Forces.

While volunteers with the Murrieta Breakfast Lions Club and Blue Star Mothers babysat some of the women’s young children at a nearby church, the military moms enjoyed a brunch of quiche, cheese and fruit platters, pastries and dessert--all donated by businesses, community groups and local churches.

Military moms and their sacrifices are often overlooked, said Murrieta city officials, who came out to welcome the moms and serve the food.

“This is a small way to give back to these mothers and wives who give so much to our country,” said Murrieta Police Chief Mike Baray, who helped wait tables. “They are the unsung heroes.”

Baray was joined by Murrieta Fire Chief Matt Shobert, Mayor Randon Lane and the entire City Council, all of whom served water, lemonade and food to the guests and mingled with them during the two-hour brunch. The women sat at tables decorated with pretty flower arrangements, and each guest received a raffle ticket for prizes and a gift bag filled with donated goodies.

“I’m humbled by this group. It’s our soldiers fighting for our freedom but this is the support structure,” Shobert said, referring to the women present. “Everything that their family goes through, we really don’t think about that.”

Mayor Lane echoed the sentiment.

"The military men and women get a lot of credit, which they deserve, but these people also deserve that support," Lane said.

City Councilwoman Kelly Bennett, wearing blue pants and a red blazer, hosted the event. A Color Guard comprised of four girls from the Air Force ROTC program at Vista Murrieta High School posted the colors and the entire group said the Pledge of Allegiance together. 

In opening remarks, Bennett welcomed the women.

“We hope you will feel honored and celebrated today," Bennett said.

She offered words of encouragement, asked the military moms to introduce themselves to the other women at their tables, and suggested they share their stories.

Bennett also asked each woman, “What’s your favorite thing about being a military mom?”

Jane Gonzales shared that her daughter, 21-year-old Veronica Dominguez, is an Air Force medic serving at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, her first duty station. Veronica has been gone from home for almost a year and her mother said she misses her daughter terribly while she is so far from home.

“I’m very, very proud of her but I miss her and want her home every day,” Gonzales said.

Robin Zeal told the group that she was so shocked when her 23-year-old son quit college to join the Marine Corps, she had to take a leave of absence from her job. Her son left for training a week later but in time, everything has worked out. Her son has been married for three years and has a 1-year-old baby.

“I’ll tell you, he is so mature and grown up,” Zeal said.