TINA WON'T BE HOME FOR THIS YEAR'S PARADE.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Army Sgt. Tina Gecse of Castaic hoped to be home from her third tour of Iraq in time for this year's San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, but she's going to miss it by a month, say her parents Robert and Sylvia Garcia. ``She'll be home for Christmas, though, and we can't wait to see her,'' her dad said Wednesday. ``We're so proud of her.'' Last year, Tina was grand marshal Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. and the parade's biggest hit. A 22- year-old Latina, Tina stands just a shade over 5 feet tall but has the heart of a tiger. All along the parade route last year people cheered, wishing her well on her third return to Iraq. Young kids had that look in their eyes that told you they were looking at a hero. ``I know my daughter really wanted to be home for the parade this year to say thank you to so many people, but her replacement is just now being trained,'' Robert said. ``She's been promoted to staff sergeant, and her next assignment will be as a drill sergeant at a base yet to be determined.'' The 2001 graduate of Valencia High is still as committed as ever, her dad said. Tina signed up for five more years. ``It's something she wanted to do and we're behind her 100 percent,'' he said. ``She'll always be our little girl.'' The third annual San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Laurel Canyon Boulevard Laurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles, California. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego (Interstate 405) and the Golden State Freeways (Interstate 5). and San Fernando Mission Road in Mission Hills. It ends at Richie Valens Park on Paxton Street in Pacoima, where there will be a street fair. The grand marshal of the parade this year will be Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, commander, Naval Special Warfare Noun 1. Naval Special Warfare - the agency that provides units to conduct unconventional and counter-guerilla warfare NSW United States Navy, US Navy, USN, Navy - the navy of the United States of America; the agency that maintains and trains and equips Command. If you can't make it to the parade Saturday, there are a host of other Veterans Day events in and around the Valley to take in. The Rotary Club of Granada Hills will be having a Veterans Day dedication at the Granada Hills Veterans Park at the corner of Zelzah and Chatsworth avenues, also at 11 a.m. Saturday. In the last several years, the small park has become rundown due to lack of funding for maintenance and upkeep. Recently, though, with the help of Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith securing some funding for the park, it is being refurbished by the local Rotary club. ``A number of other features are also planned, with the most important being a renewed focus on plaques and other items of recognition honoring our veterans,'' said Don Cosby, who with fellow Rotarian Carl Melnik has been pulling weeds and picking up trash in the park in preparation for Veterans Day. At 7 Friday night, a free community Veterans Day tribute to the men and women of the armed forces will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ Church of Jesus Christ may refer to:
Called ``Lest We Forget Lest We Forget is a phrase popularised in 1887, by Rudyard Kipling; it formed the refrain of his poem Recessional. As a title, it may refer to any of:
Betty was one of the first members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots The Women Airforce Service Pilots, also known as WASP, and the predecessor groups the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WASP), serving as an engineering test pilot. In March, she was inducted into the Women in Aviation, International Pioneer Hall of Fame. For more information on the event, call (818) 887-0577. The Fourth Annual Holiday Drive for Operation Gratitude also kicks off this Veterans Day at 9 a.m. at the California Army National Guard The California Army National Guard is a component of the California National Guard, the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers. headquarters in Van Nuys, 17330 Victory Blvd. The group is hoping to send more than 45,000 care packages to troops overseas and in stateside state·side adj. 1. Of or in the continental United States. 2. Alaska Of or in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. adv. Informal 1. hospitals this holiday season. That will make over 200,000 care packages that have been mailed out since Carolyn Blashek started the effort alone in her Encino living room more than four years ago. Now it's grown to hundreds of volunteers. For more information on donating or volunteering for this year's holiday drive, call the Operation Gratitude hotline at (818) 789-0563, or go online to www.operationgratitude.com. Local organizations, including the Canoga Park Women's Club, and VFW See Video for Windows. Post 10040 in Sun Valley, are also hosting special meals for veterans Saturday. A Tribute to Veterans luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the women's club at 7401 Jordan Ave., Canoga Park. Later, a Veterans Day dinner with turkey and all the trimmings will be served at the VFW post at 8548 Lankershim Blvd., beginning at 6 p.m. The public is invited; an $8 donation is requested. Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas will host his fourth annual Veterans Day candlelight vigil in the courtyard of the Valley Municipal Building from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday. There will be musical performances and video tributes. Also, families are asked to bring photos of their sons or daughters currently serving overseas for a special slide show. The Valley Municipal Building is at 14410 Sylvan sylvan emanating from or pertaining to woods. See also sylvatic. St. in Van Nuys. And finally, Daughters of the American Revolution Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), a Colonial patriotic society in the United States, open to women having one or more ancestors who aided the cause of the Revolution. The society was organized (1890) at Washington, D.C. chapters in the San Fernando Valley are hosting the First Annual Salute to Lady Veterans at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Building 200 at the Sepulveda VA, 16111 Plummber St., North Hills. dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3749 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Army Sgt. Tina Gecse served as grand marshal of the 2005 San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade, but this year won`t be home until Christmas. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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