VALLEY VETS MAKE TREK TO CEREMONY.Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - They came in garrison in the condition of a garrison; doing duty in a fort or as one of a garrison. See also: Garrison caps and baseball hats bearing the names of their units. They dug out old uniforms and long-forgotten medals. They arrived with canes and with walkers, many in wheelchairs. And almost to a person, the men and women of the World War II generation brought a bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. joy Saturday at being able to witness the dedication of America's memorial to their war. ``It couldn't be nicer,'' said Bert Dorosy, 79, of Canoga Park. ``I'm sorry more people couldn't see it that were deserving to see it. But I think they did a marvelous job.'' Dorosy was among the thousands of World War II veterans - at least two dozen from the 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. - who crowded the National Mall National Mall: see National Parks and Monuments (table). under a gentle sun and cool breeze to watch the formal dedication of the newly built memorial. With an estimated 1,100 World War II veterans dying each day, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Department of 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. , the dedication took on a special significance. Many veterans noted that the gathering would probably be the last of its kind. The memorial was 17 years in the making and cost $175 million. The bronze and granite monument occupies 7.4 acres between the Washington Monument Washington Monument, obelisk-shaped tower, 555 ft 5 1-9 in. (169.3 m) high, located on a 106-acre (43-hectare) site at the west end of the Mall, Washington, D.C.; dedicated 1885. and the Lincoln Memorial Lincoln Memorial, monument, 107 acres (45 hectares), in Potomac Park, Washington, D.C.; built 1914–17. The building, designed by Henry Bacon and styled after a Greek temple, has 36 Doric columns representing the states of the Union at the time of Lincoln's , and is a homage to the sacrifice of the 16 million Americans who served during the war. ``It is a fitting tribute. Open and expansive like America, grand and enduring like the achievements we honor,'' President George W. Bush told the crowd. ``At this memorial, we acknowledge a debt of long standing to an entire generation of Americans. They saved our country, and thereby saved the liberty of mankind.'' Former Sen. Bob Dole, a World War II Army lieutenant who lost the use of his right arm in combat and who has been a driving force behind the memorial, said, ``What we dedicate here today is not a memorial to war, rather a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm boys and city boys, that inspires Americans in every generation to lay down their lives for people they will never meet, for ideals that make life itself worth living.'' Dorosy called the ceremony ``tremendous.'' He was a high school student in Ohio when he was drafted into the Army and served in the 178th Combat Engineer Battalion, Company B. He said he doesn't much dwell on the war years now, but it was important for him to see the memorial dedication firsthand. ``It took 60 years, and it's a shame because only a third of the guys are left. Not even. To me it's important. I just wanted to be a part of history,'' he said. Murray Shapiro, 80, of Chatsworth said his family saved money for a year to attend Saturday's dedication. Shapiro, a longtime El Camino High School "El Camino High School" may refer to:
Of the memorial, Shapiro said, ``I think it's the most beautiful, appropriate thing.'' George Haney, 88, of Glendale called the memorial the greatest thing in the whole world for World War II veterans. Haney enlisted in the Air Force in 1941. As a pilot serving in the Air Transport Command, he ferried everything from parts to people back to 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. on an unmarked C-54, then the country's largest transport plane. When people say the men and women of the World War II years represent the greatest generation, Haney concurs. ``We were no heroes, believe you me. We were just guys who tried to stay alive for five years and get home to what we were doing before,'' he said. But in those years, he said, ``We had the best time. Everybody treated you so nice. It was just a different world, a great world.'' ``When I pass away, don't feel sorry,'' Haney said. ``We had the greatest group of people. Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731 lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: George R. Haney, 88, seen here in his Glendale home Tuesday, was one of thousands of vets who went to Washington, D.C., to attend Saturday's dedication of the World War II Memorial. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer |
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