For​ ​the​ ​second​ ​consecutive​ ​year​ ​the​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors​ ​issued​ ​a proclamation​ ​designating​ ​April​ ​24​​​ ​as​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide​ ​Remembrance​ ​Day,​ ​commemorating​ ​those who​ ​perished​ ​during​ ​the​ ​first​ ​Genocide​ ​of​ ​the​ ​twentieth​ ​century,

Representatives​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Armenian​ ​American​ ​community​ ​of​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​were​ ​in​ ​attendance.

Chairwoman​ ​Michelle​ ​Steel​ ​opened​ ​the​ ​program​ ​by​ ​stating​ ​that​ ​this​ ​year​ ​marks​ ​the​ ​102​nd​​ ​anniversary​ ​of the​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide​ ​that​ ​took​ ​the​ ​lives​ ​of​ ​one​ ​and​ ​a​ ​half​ ​million​ ​Armenians.​ ​She​ ​stated that​ ​“not​ ​only were​ ​Armenians​ ​massacred​ ​within​ ​their​ ​historic​ ​homeland​ ​but​ ​their​ ​lands​ ​and​ ​property​ ​were​ ​stolen.” The​ ​Chairwoman​ ​explained​ ​that​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​do​ ​its​ ​part​ ​in​ ​honoring​ ​the​ ​victims​ ​of​ ​this tragedy​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​forgotten​ ​or​ ​repeated.

Reverend​ ​Fathers​ ​Moushegh​ ​Tshajian​ ​from​ ​St.​ ​Mary​ ​Armenian​ ​Church​ ​in​ ​Costa​ ​Mesa​ ​and​ ​Karekin Bedourian​ ​from​ ​Forty​ ​Martyrs​ ​Armenian​ ​Church​ ​in​ ​Santa​ ​Ana​ ​took​ ​the​ ​podium​ ​and​ ​addressed​ ​the​ ​crowd. They​ ​thanked​ ​Chairwoman​ ​Steel​ ​and​ ​the​ ​County​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Supervisors​ ​for​ ​their​ ​commitment​ ​to accurately​ ​remembering​ ​the​ ​past​ ​and​ ​honoring​ ​the​ ​victims​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Armenian​ ​Genocide,​ ​then​ ​together lead​ ​with​ ​the​ ​prayer.

1.5 million innocent Armenians were massacred between 1915 and 1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Some three dozen countries, tens of international organizations and hundreds of cities and communities have recognized the killings as Genocide. Turkey still denies.