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Alameda County Veterans Affairs Commission hosted a Veterans Day Ceremony at Alameda Veterans Memorial Park on Bay Farm Island. Those in attendance bowed their heads in prayer, when — just as tradition dictates — the ceremony commenced promptly at 11 a.m., the same moment in 1918 that the armistice ending World War I took effect: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. This years' keynote speaker, Denise Darnell Langowski, spoke of her experiences as a mother of an American soldier. Her son, 21-year-old Ryan Langowski, is currently serving with the United States Army in Germany. Ryan served two tours of duty in Iraq. Denise, a 1981 graduate of Encinal High School, was born at Letterman Army Hospital at the Presidio of San Francisco. Her father served as a Marine and was stationed at the Naval Air Station here in Alameda. She and her daughter, Samantha, work as volunteers with Operation MOMS — a support group for families with sons and daughters serving in the military.