JOINING WITH VETERANS; YOUTHS HONOR DEFENDERS OF FLAG.Byline: Cynthia Teed Daily News Staff Writer Pushing a baby carriage through Santa Clarita's dense Memorial Day crowd at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall, Robin Matthess stopped to ponder what all the commotion meant. Having just seen ``Saving Private Ryan,'' the young mother of two still felt the film's emotional jolt. ``Seeing that movie made a huge impact on me,'' she said. ``Memorial Day was never more than a three-day weekend to me.'' Seeing Spielberg's realistic portrayal of war up close changed her perspective. ``I learned that individual freedom is so taken for granted Adj. 1. taken for granted - evident without proof or argument; "an axiomatic truth"; "we hold these truths to be self-evident" axiomatic, self-evident obvious - easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind; "obvious errors" in this country,'' Matthess said. ``It can be taken away from us at any time. ``I'm going to raise my children better than the way I was raised, and that's why we're here, to celebrate freedom and the veterans,'' she said, looking at her young son. And so the tradition continues, one family richer. Memorial Day, formerly called Decoration Day Decoration Day: see Memorial Day. , is a patriotic holiday honoring Americans who gave their lives for their country. Many Americans think of the holiday as a long weekend kicking off summer vacation Summer vacation (also called summer holidays or summer break) is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students are off for 3 months, depending on the country and district. , especially after President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation in 1968 shifting the dates of some holidays to create more three-day weekends. Memorial Day is now officially observed on the last Monday in May. Veterans Bob Kellar, a former Green Beret, and Charles Clark Charles Clark was the name of:
``Memorial Day is the most important day of the year to honor the military,'' said Kellar, master of ceremonies for the program at Eternal Valley. ``It's important to honor the veterans for their sacrifices and to remind the youngsters of how important it is to preserve freedom and the traditions of our country.'' About 500 people attended. Saugus High School Saugus High School may refer to:
Katie Blanch blanch to become pale. of Bowman Continuation High School A continuation high school is an alternative to a comprehensive high school primarily for students who are considered at-risk of not graduating at the normal pace. The requirements to graduate are the same but the scheduling is more flexible to allow students to earn their credits and Kera Crookston of William S. Hart High School Hart High School may refer to:
Veteran R.J. Kelly, who served in Vietnam and was decorated with four Purple Hearts, introduced the young scholarship winners. The keynote speaker at the ceremony, Santa Clarita City Manager George Caravalho, talked about the lessons history can teach. Caravalho, a former Marine, also had seen the Spielberg film and referred to it in his speech. Some who came to the ceremony were thinking of their living friends in the military while also honoring those who have died. A friend stationed in the Balkans was on David Bischoff's mind. Bischoff of Saugus is a sergeant in the 44th Infantry Brigade of the Oregon National Guard. ``I came to honor those who paid the ultimate price,'' he said. ``After all, it's Memorial Day.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Cub Scout Michael Davison, 6, looks at the graves of veterans during Memorial Day ceremonies at Eternal Valley cemetery in Newhall. (2--Color) A veteran salutes the flag in Memorial Day services at Newhall. (3--Color) The helmet of Andy Wolfe, an ROTC cadet chief master sergeant The grade of Cadet Chief Master Sergeant (abbreviated C/CMSgt) is the ninth enlisted grade of the Civil Air Patrol cadet program. The grade is synonymous with the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Achievement Award. , reflects the flag. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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