Sen. John J. Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, was to commemorate Veterans' Day in a ceremony at the General George S. Patton Memorial Museum, during which the state lawmaker would present U.S. Senator John McCain with the Patton Award.
Benoit planned to read a letter from McCain to be displayed in the museum and then honor the one-time presidential hopeful with the 2009 Patton Award, which was accepted on McCain's behalf by his friend, U.S. Navy Admiral Ben Montoya, who attended the Naval Academy with the Arizona senator.
"Riverside County has been blessed with a rich legacy made by the contributions of men and women in our Armed Services,'' said Benoit. "It is an
honor to present the award named for one of our most storied military leaders on this patriotic occasion.''
The museum's Veterans' Day ceremony will include a display of footage from previous wars, as well as exhibits and outdoor entertainment. Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff was also scheduled to be at the event.
The Patton museum, which opened in 1988, highlights the history of the multi-state Desert Training Center, a 350-mile expanse that was dedicated to preparing troops for desert warfare during World War II.
Patton assumed command of the area, which covered parts of California, Arizona and Nevada, in March 1942. Over the ensuing two years, some 1 million soldiers trained there. The general used the vast desert region to stage exercises ahead of his famed North Africa campaign, which culminated in the defeat of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, commander of Germany's forces in Africa.
