Captain Dale Dye, KFI-640 Radio Commentator and Highly Decorated Retired Marine, Featured as Keynote Speaker for Forest Lawn-Covina Hills' 9th Annual Memorial Day Celebration.

COVINA HILLS, Calif. -- Renowned Dragon Flight, the March Field Aero Club Formation Flying Team, to Conduct Military Flyover and Invocation to Be Led by Chaplain Major Mark Hammond, 40th DISCOM, California Army National Guard 

Forest Lawn(R) today announced that Captain Dale Dye, KFI-640 Radio Commentator, Highly Decorated Retired Marine, and Advisor for "Platoon" and "Casualties of War," will keynote the 9th annual Memorial Day celebration at Covina Hills. Beginning at 10:00 a.m., this free event is expected to attract more than 1,000 Southern Californians in Celebrating American Patriots.

A highlight of the celebration will be the flyover by Dragon Flight, the March Field Aero Club Formation Flying Team, which performs at air shows, parades and memorials throughout the Southwestern United States to honor those who have served our nation and those who continue to serve our nation as members of the United States Armed Forces.

The March Field Aero Club was awarded the honor of the "Best Aero Club" in the Strategic Air Command from 1983-1991; the "Best Aero Club" in the Air Mobility Command for the years 1992 and 1993, and the United States Air Force Flying Safety Award from 1981-1998 for Dragon Flight flying the Mentor T-34, a two-place, tandem seat, single-engine training aircraft. Weighing 3,000 pounds and capable of a maximum speed of 250 MPH, the T-34 was flown on active duty by the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps until the 1970s. The T-34 was designed to meet our nations' requirement for a rugged, primary flight training aircraft and to prepare student pilots for the transition to heavier, faster, and higher performance, jet aircraft.

Dale Dye was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January 1964. He served in Vietnam in 1965, and from 1967 through 1970 survived 31 major combat operations. Captain Dye spent 13 years as an enlisted Marine, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant before he was chosen to attend Officer Candidate School. Appointed a Warrant Officer in 1976, he later converted his commission and was sent to Beirut as a Captain with the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in 1982-83.

He has received numerous military honors and decorations including a Bronze Star with a "V" for Valor for his service in Vietnam in 1968, three purple hearts, a Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat "V" Device and a Navy Achievement Medal, a Joint Service Commendation Medal, The Air Force Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon (Vietnam and Beirut), a Vietnamese Honor Medal 1st Class and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He is a Legionnaire of the Order of Saint Maurice, the Ancient and Honorable Order of Infantrymen.

After working for a year at Soldier of Fortune magazine, Captain Dye retired, but before leaving, he spent time in Central America, reporting and training troops in guerrilla warfare techniques in El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. Captain Dye embarked on a new career in Hollywood, and has played a crucial role in over 30 feature films including "Born on the Fourth of July," "Saving Private Ryan," "Mission Impossible" and "Wag the Dog." He has been involved with numerous TV projects including "L.A. Law" and was both an actor and military advisor for the Emmy Award-winning HBO series "Band of Brothers." Captain Dye was the exclusive design consultant for the Medal of Honor Series Video Games. In addition, he has consulted on several books: "Run Between the Raindrops," "Outrage," "Platoon," "Conduct Unbecoming," and "Duty & Dishonor."

The Sounds Of Harmony Sweet Adelines International and Bagpiper Greg Beckman will provide patriotic music. Gunnery Sgt. Leon R. Burns U.S. Marine Corp (Ret) Legion Of Valor will place the memorial wreath in memory of those who served. The event is free and open to the public, and souvenirs and refreshments for all attendees will be provided. For more information, call 1-800-204-3131 or go to www.forestlawn.com. Forest Lawn-Covina Hills is located at 21300 Via Verde Dr. in Covina.

About Forest Lawn

Forest Lawn is the community resource where families and friends turn to celebrate life -- from weddings and baptisms to funerals and family history. Founded in 1906, Forest Lawn serves Southern California through its six locations -- Glendale, Hollywood Hills, Cypress, Covina Hills, Long Beach, and Claremont. Forest Lawn regularly hosts a variety of cultural and civic programs as part of its commitment to providing Southern California residents with educational and cultural events that celebrate meaningful moments in life from around the world.