Pancakes

If you get there early enough, you can beat the crowds at IHOP. For Veterans Day this year, IHOP gave out complimentary pancakes to honor the service of our veterans and active military men and women.

The passing of the guard

Every year at the Memorial Day Ceremony, an honor guard performs a final salute before the playing of Taps. What we typically think of as a 21-gun salute is really just three volleys from the soldiers in the guard—in this case, just four, for a 12-gun salute.

The honor guard team has changed over the years that I've been attending the ceremony, and there are fewer members. This year, half the team was new, and all of them were a little bit fuzzy on the details. So before the ceremony began, they started taking notes from a young high school student who knew the drill—ready, present, port, face left, face right, when do we cock the rifle again?—he knew it all, and was ready and willing to serve. A future honor guardsman in the making?

Humans of Downey - Johnny

"So much has changed about me since I entered the Marine Corps. Before I went in, I never had any manners, never shaved, I never got a haircut. I think once you're in the Marines, they help you become more presentable and more respectful. They first taught me to respect myself and then to respect others. They taught me to not look at life like some kind of game. They also taught me to care about others. We were a brotherhood and you respected your brothers.

"Before I was a Marine, I never listened to others, especially older people. But once you're in boot camp, that all goes away. You learned how to respect others for their position. I learned to say, 'Yes sir' and 'Yes ma'am.' I never told anyone, before the Marines, 'Yes sir' and 'Yes ma'am.' Then once I got out and I said, 'Yes sir" or 'How you doing sir,' people who knew me before were saying, 'Who's this? You changed a lot.' It was a great lesson."
~ Johnny

Humans of Downey - Louis

Louis is a veteran of the Navy from 1968 - 1972 and served in Vietnam. This interview happened at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Downey Cemetery.

"Discipline is one of the major character traits I learned during my military career. I went in right after high school so that is the biggest thing I learned in the military. To illustrate this, I'll tell you a little story.

"When you serve on board a Navy ship, you have a captain. The captain is the top guy that runs the ship. The saying in the Navy is that, 'Next to God is the Captain.' I, being a third class petty officer, was called up to see the captain one day. So, I'm scratching my head and asking, 'Why am I being called up to see the captain? I haven't done anything wrong. I've stayed out of trouble.' When I went up to see him, I smartly saluted, the whole nine yards, and he says, 'Mr. Gard, you're in here because your mother wrote me. You haven't been writing her. From now on, you will write your mother at least every two weeks. I prefer every week but at the minimum, every two weeks.' So, that was one of the little disciplines I learned. You don't mess with mom. You can be away but you must write her. That was the only time I got in trouble while in the Navy.

" My civilian job after my Navy days was as a warehouse manager. I managed multiple warehouses. It was my job, among others, to make sure the employees were showing up on time, doing their jobs and following the company rules. My time in the service, learning discipline, taught me how to lead employees to do the right thing. And now, my time is spent in serving veterans through the American Legion."
~ Louis

A veteran at the beach

Today is Veteran's Day, November 11, 2015. This veteran took full advantage of the holiday. First, my work gave me the day off (along with everybody else). My wife made banana pancakes for breakfast this morning. We then played a round of golf and I paid the veteran's price for it. Later, we went to Ruby's Diner in Seal Beach and I had a free Ruby's Classic burger with cheese, fries, and a root beer. We then found a Starbucks nearby and my wife got a free coffee since she is the spouse of a veteran.

On Monday, I wrote about the fact that Downey is within driving distance to the mountains. Well, it is also only 30 minutes from several beaches. After dinner and the coffee, we went to the Seal Beach pier. It was so clear that Catalina looked close enough you might think you could swim the 26 miles. I was going to say, "walk the 26 miles," but you have to be pretty special to walk there.

I hope you enjoyed your Veteran's Day and you told a veteran, "Thanks for your service."

Pride

Pride. I saw a lot of it at yesterday's Memorial Day ceremony at the Downey Cemetery.

There was our pride in the veterans who were recognized, when we stood in a standing ovation to honor them.

There was the veterans' pride in having served our country, shown by the little things like this car flying its American flags, and the veterans who proudly wore caps signifying their service.

And the students who participated for the first time this year. The kids from the Aspire program from Williams Elementary (my alma mater!) sang God Bless the U.S.A:

"And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the ones who died
Who gave that right to me."

And the middle school student who read her excellent essay "What Memorial Day Means To Me." It meant being proud of those who served, and those who gave their lives.

"And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land—God bless the USA."

Thank you veterans

"Thanksgiving is a day when we pause to give thanks for the things we have. Veterans Day is a day when we pause to give thanks to the people who fought for the things we have."
~Recent Facebook post

Today, Downey held its annual Veterans Day celebration to honor and pay tribute to our veterans. The celebration was filled to overflowing and featured several speakers, including Capt. Victor Shen of the U.S. Army (right) and Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, on the subject of how we can continue to support our veterans after they return home.

Flags worn or waved in support could be spotted everywhere.

Rives Mansion welcomes Veterans

For the past two days I've noticed a flurry of activity at the Rives Mansion. Tents and tables have been set up and banners hung.

Tomorrow the Rives Mansion will host a Veterans Job and Resource Fair. The Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System is  collaborating with The Los Angeles Film School to host this communtity event. The free event is open to veterans and their families from 11 am to 4:30 pm.

To view their flier you can visit downeybeat.com or just click here.

Our veterans deserve our support and our thanks.

"Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty."
~ Louis D. Brandeis

We will never forget

Visiting the Normandy American Cemetery was a sobering experience. Approaching the cemetery, all you see is row upon row of white marble crosses. The American Cemetery is the final resting place for 9,387 of our military dead.

Walking through the never-ending crosses, I noticed a ceremony at the flagpoles. I recognized the same baseball caps I had seen in Memorial Day celebrations on the heads of the old soldiers in Downey. The caps identify them as soldiers and where they fought and served.

This was a gathering of some of the D-Day soldiers who had survived and came back to honor their fallen comrades.

"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifice."
~ Harry S. Truman, President of the United States

I really do want world peace

Looking at the faces of the people who attended the Memorial Day Tribute at the Downey Cemetery was a reminder to me that this day is about people.

There was a sea of hats among the group, with tours of duty proudly displayed... Korea, Vietnam, World War II. Service to our nation is a proud tradition. I was moved. I felt like I was surrounded by people who protected my country. It's something I don't want to ever take for granted.

As you look out over the cemetery, small flags mounted on white crosses mark the graves of the fallen and the veterans buried here.

On Memorial Day we join together to honor those men and women who have fallen. We do this by remembering their sacrifice.

Please take a minute to remember to pray for our troops and for peace.

More than self

A couple of years ago, I saw an article about a Memorial Day tribute at the Downey Cemetery. I thought, aha! a good photo op for Downey Daily Photos.

Two years later, the annual Memorial Day Tribute has become a regular and meaningful part of my Memorial Day traditions.

Music is just one part of the Tribute ceremony. From the moving words of "America the Beautiful" (above, Jim Higuera, Commander of the American Legion Post 270, is mouthing the words along with singer Sheila Jacobs) to the haunting melody of "Taps," the music reminds us of those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms.

    O beautiful for heroes proved
    In liberating strife.
    Who more than self their country loved
    And mercy more than life!

More tomorrow...

Click here for pictures from previous years.

It's their day

The Veteran's Day holiday originated to celebrate the armistice that ended the fighting of World War I. The armistice went into effect in 1918 at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Over ninety years later, we show our gratitude on this Veteran's Day to all those who have served our country here and abroad.

At today's Veteran's Day Ceremony at the Downey Theater, two veterans were specifically recognized. Kenji Sayama, who served in WWII in the "Go For Broke" regiment, was one of 772 WWII Japanese-American veterans who were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington D. C. on November 2.

The other veteran is AEMC Ken Drake, USN (Retired), who is still able to fit into the uniform he received more than 50 years ago! Drake is currently a commander of the American Legion Post in Downey.

"All gave some. Some gave all."