IN HONOR OF SERVICE AMERICANS OBSERVE VETERANS DAY.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer PALMDALE - Bugle calls, prayers and 21-gun salutes recognized American veterans in ceremonies at Lancaster and Palmdale cemeteries. At Palmdale's Desert Lawn Memorial Park, Veterans Day speakers urged the audience to pray for American military personnel and their families and to encourage elected officials to support veterans not just in words but in actions. ``Our veterans past and present should be honored not just today but every day,'' said Henry Weaver, governor of the Palmdale Moose Lodge. Veterans and civic leaders also spoke Friday at ceremonies at Lancaster Cemetery and at Joshua Memorial Park in Lancaster. After the Desert Lawn ceremony, the Palmdale Veterans Color Guard assembled again at the nearby Palmdale Cemetery to fire a rifle salute over graves dating back to the 1880s, including those of a number of veterans. The Palmdale ceremonies drew Cub Scouts, veterans and family. Among the veterans was 87-year-old Pat Murray, a woman Marine who was a parachute rigger A parachute rigger is a person who is trained or licenced to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. A rigger is required to understand fabrics, hardware, webbing, regulations, sewing, packing, and other aspects related to the building, packing, repair, and maintenance of parachutes. during World War II. She placed a commemorative wreath during the ceremony. ``This is a day to honor all the veterans who served and are serving our country,'' said Bobby Breech breech (brech) the buttocks. breech n. The lower rear portion of the human trunk; the buttocks. breech, britch the buttocks of an animal; the backs of the thighs. , commander of American Legion American Legion, national association of male and female war veterans, founded (1919) in Paris. Membership is open to veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Post 348 in Palmdale. Other veterans were in the audience. ``I try to make it every year,'' said Tony Trevino, a disabled veteran watching the Desert Lawn ceremony. Trevino, who worked for the Veterans Administration and in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County's veterans affairs Veterans Affairs is a term of the business that deals with the relation between a government and its veteran communities, usually administered by the designated government agency. office before retirement, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1975. This Veterans Day took on extra significance because it was the first since the death of his grandfather, Rudy Alex Westley, a World War II veteran who fought in Europe with Gen. George S. Patton's army, Trevino said. World War II veterans like his grandfather played a big role in making the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. what it is today, Trevino added. ``The World War II veterans, that's the generation that did so much for our nation,'' he said. But not everyone was upbeat Friday. Ruben Trejo, commander of Disabled American Veterans The Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, is an organization for disabled veterans that helps them and their families through various means. It currently has over 1.2 million members. The DAV was controversial during the 2006 election cycle. Chapter 39, departed from his prepared speech to read a message from a national DAV See WebDAV. official who said that federal budgets for veterans services have failed in recent years to keep up with inflation. Thousands of veterans have been denied access to Veterans Administration facilities because of budget shortfalls, and proposals to reduce or restrict veterans services are common, Trejo said. ``They shouldn't have to fight their own government after fighting our nation's enemies,'' Trejo said. Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742 chuck.bostwick(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Cadet Christopher Downey of Highland High's Air Force ROTC program plays taps at Palmdale Cemetery on Friday. (2 -- 3 -- color) Members of Palmdale Cub Scout Pack 767, above, recite the Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance, in full, Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, oath that proclaims loyalty to the United States. and its national symbol. at Desert Lawn Memorial Park on Friday. Pat Murray, left, a Marine sergeant in World War II, places a Veterans Day wreath at the cemetery. (4) Pat Murray salutes as Cadet Nick Heberle of the Highland High Air Force Jr. ROTC spins his rifle. (5) Flags flutter Flutter (aeronautics) An aeroelastic self-excited vibration with a sustained or divergent amplitude, which occurs when a structure is placed in a flow of sufficiently high velocity. Flutter is an instability that can be extremely violent. as guests visit grave sites at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Palmdale in observation of Veterans Day on Friday. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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