SOUTHLAND HONORS LIVING, DEAD FOR MILITARY SERVICE.Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer For Vietnam veteran This article is about veterans of the Vietnam War. For the French psychedelic musical group, see Vietnam Veterans. Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. Phil Sutherland, the best way to show appreciation for the freedoms enjoyed in 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. is to serve the country, and more Americans are honoring those who made that sacrifice. ``For many, many years those of us, especially who served in Vietnam, felt like we were forgotten. But the nation is starting to come around, maybe ... because of the sadness of the World Trade Center'' attacks, said Sutherland, 57, who was at a Memorial Day service at Forest Lawn Forest Lawn is the name of a number of different places:
Memorial Day services were held throughout Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, on Monday, from Los Angeles National Cemetery The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in West Los Angeles, at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard. The cemetery was dedicated in 1889. in Westwood to Joshua Memorial Park and Eternal Valley Memorial Park in the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys. Among the hundreds of people who attended the service at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills were many veterans of World War II, the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. and Vietnam. At the Hollywood Hills service, KNBC KNBC Kings Norton Bowling Club (Channel 4) weatherman Fritz Coleman, a Navy veteran, acted as the emcee in a ceremony that included a ceremonial wreath laying to the sound of bagpipes bagpipes Noun, pl a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bag bagpipes npl → gaita sg bagpipes and a recitation rec·i·ta·tion n. 1. a. The act of reciting memorized materials in a public performance. b. The material so presented. 2. a. Oral delivery of prepared lessons by a pupil. b. of the ``Gettysburg Address'' by an actor in costume playing the part of Abraham Lincoln. Retired Marine Capt. Dale Dye was the keynote speaker, and spoke of honoring those who died fighting for America. ``We need to put aside petty differences, and we need to contemplate their sacrifices and never confuse the politics of a war with the spirit of our warriors,'' Dye said. Among the other Memorial Day scheduled events in the Southland on Monday was a ceremony at McCambridge Park in Burbank featuring a flyover of vintage planes by the Condor Squadron and an observance at the historic San Fernando Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in Sylmar. Memorial Day events were also held at Forest Lawn cemeteries in Covina Hills and Long Beach. In Covina Hills, World War II Air Force pilot Gordon Browning gave the keynote address. Long Beach Police Chief Anthony Batts and Mayor Beverly O'Neill spoke at the event in their city. Charles Currier, 40, of Northridge is a stunt man and actor who joined the Navy Reserve in March 2001 and expects to be deployed to Iraq next spring as a a medic medic: see alfalfa. for a Marine unit based at Camp Pendleton. ``I expect I'll have an interesting year next year because it will be (the movies) and then it will be the real deal. I've just got to remember where the bullets are real,'' Currier said. ``I think at the best times, the military has to be composed of our entire society. Everybody's got to be represented,'' he said. Sutherland, the Vietnam veteran, said his father and uncles served in the military and that he lost many friends in Vietnam. ``The United States is beginning to wake up for a change and begin to remember that freedom isn't free,'' said Sutherland, who lives in Covina. World War II veteran Dave Matweyiw, 81, of Arcadia served in the Navy in the Southwest Pacific between 1943 and 1946. Matweyiw contributed money toward the construction of the World War II Memorial dedicated Saturday in Washington, D.C., and said he is looking forward to seeing it in person. Dye, the keynote speaker, said the construction of the memorial was long overdue. In Santa Monica on Monday, people gathered around a display of more than 800 crosses on a beach, marking U.S. military deaths in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Growing in number weekly, the crosses have stood just north of the Santa Monica Pier The Santa Monica Pier is located at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California and is a prominent landmark. Attractions The pier contains Pacific Park, a family amusement park with a large ferris wheel. since February. Visitors to the site can choose the name of a deceased soldier and attach a daisy and the soldier's name to one of the crosses. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Alex Dobuzinskis, (818) 546-3304 alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Near Santa Monica Pier, Robert Kritzler, 4, places a flag on one of more than 800 crosses marking U.S. military deaths in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Lori Conn/Special to the Daily News (2) A Memorial Day tribute ends with taps and a rifle salute Monday at Eternal Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary in Newhall. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer |
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