the oc sentinel no. 4 apr2014

Southern California EditionIssue #4

“Leave no Veteran behind”

April 2014

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Editorial

A State Veterans Cemetery in Orange County at the Horizon - Dr. Richard Ramirez

Vets pursue Great park resting place - Kimberly Pierceall/Courtesy OC Register

Veterans cheer Irvine’s cemetery support, but there’s no guarantee

- Kimberly Pierceall/Courtesy OC Register

Gedunk Humor

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The OC Sentinel - Issue #4 April 2014 -

The Korean War - 61 Year Anniversary

San Clemente Resident Receives French Legion of Honor

Memorial Day Events

Employment

Memorial Day

Final Thoughts

Contents

Cover and Page 2 Photos by Alex T. Diaz. In 2003, the citizens of Newport Beach adopted the 1st Battallion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. The city dedicates this memorial in honor of the men and women of 1/1 who paid the ultimate price in defending and preserving our nation and our freedom.

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Issue 4 April 2014

The OC Sentinel Est: Sep 2010

The OC Sentinel341 W. Alton Ave Suite #B

Santa Ana, CA [email protected]

Alex Diaz Productions, The OC Sentinel and The Sentinel. All Rights Reserved.

The OC Sentinel Mission: To advocate on behalf of veterans and increase and dissemminate relevant information to them, their families and the community.

Vision: To provide a visually captivating and informative publication to voice is-sues relevant to veterans and their fami-lies; to raise awareness in the community of outreach and benefits available; to pro-vide a vehicle of open dialogue into issues which impact veterans, their families and the community.

Editorial & Advisory Committee

Greg HankinsEmily RobinsonDebbie Pulido

Ron GarciaRobert McDonald

John ParentRay EstrellaJim Torres

Joe de la LuzTony Abarca

Mary Jane CambriaMax Madrid

Pastor Frank OrzioJim Prather

Noel DansecoReynaldo Cruz

Welcome to the fourth edition of The OC Sentinel.

Editorial: The theme of this issue is the proposed veterans cemetery on undeveloped land in Irvine.

The initiative by a group of veterans and supporters, formally organizing as Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation (OCVMP), has raised awareness on the need for a state-f u n d e d v e t e r a n s c e m e t e r y to meet the interment needs of veterans in the area and has gained support from individuals and legislators.

Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva has sponsored Assembly Bill 1453 supporting a veterans cemetery in Southern California, and which Governor Brown has committed to signing when it gets to his desk.

The first step in the endeavor is having the land committed by the Irvine City Council, for without the land there is no cemetery. But there is opposition from FivePoint Communities, even though land OCVMP has identified as ideal for

the cemetery is undeveloped and belongs to the City of Irvine.

It begs the question: Who owns the land, Irvine or FivePoints?

The detailed editorial by one of the groups founders, Dr. Richard Ramirez, describes the project in great detail. There are also two articles by Orange County Register journalist Kim Pierceall who has been covering the evolution of the

project.

In addition, Los Angeles

Times/Daily Pilot journalist Jill Cowan’s article is available at: www.dailypilot.com

What about you? What are your feelings about having a cemetery for veterans in Orange County on land of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro? Land that belongs to the City of Irvine. Let us know your opinion at

[email protected].

Thank you for your readership,

The Editor,

Alex T. Diaz

“Who owns the land, Irvine or FivePoints?”

The concept of constructing a veterans cemetery in Orange County, specifically at the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, now known as the Orange County Great Park, is not a new idea. It’s an idea that began to evolve when the MCAS first closed. The idea, however, did not begin to generate a grassroots movement until about several years ago.

There is an old saying which best describes why the concept of a state veterans cemetery is gaining great momentum toward becoming a reality; “Timing isn’t the only thing, it is everything.” A group of veterans and veteran advocates met several years ago to discuss the feasibility of realizing a veterans cemetery in Orange County. The ad hoc committee included representatives from various veteran and community based organizations. A fundamental principle which was made very clear at the initial and subsequent meetings was that members needed to be believers and doers. This driving principle allowed the ad hoc committee to expedite its mission. Some members elected to move on, others who learned about the mission and guiding principle joined the ad hoc committee.

The highly passionate ad hoc committee generated tremendous movement toward realizing a clearly defined mission; the realization of a state veterans cemetery in Orange County, specifically at the old Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. A clear-cut

By: Richard M. Ramirez, Ed. D., Adjutant, Placentia American Legion Post 277 [email protected]

campaign was organized in “getting the word out” and seeking folks, influential leaders and organizations to endorse and support the mission. The campaign efforts were well received and support evolved from various segments of the Orange County community, in particular the Irvine City Council, specifically Councilperson Larry Agran and from Assemblyperson Sharon Quirk-Silva, District 65. Concurrently, the ad hoc committee realized that in order to effectively move the pursued mission forward, there was a need to have the committee become a formal entity. Recently, the ad hoc committee attained an Employee Identification

Number (EIN) and is now formally known as the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation.

Locally, as the result of the strong leadership of Councilperson Agran, the Irvine City Council approved a resolution on March 11, 2014 which included two recommendations. First, it was recommended to endorse/support Assembly Bill (AB) 1453. Second, it was recommended to approve “an expression of intent” to consider at least 100 acres as a possible site for a state veterans cemetery. The

second recommendation is critical in relationship with the progress of AB 1453, as the State is not involved in securing land for a veterans cemetery. Inclusive in the resolution was the directive to establish an ad hoc committee to assume the charge of assessing the resolution relative to the consideration of “at least 100 acres as a possible site for a state veterans cemetery.” The ad hoc committee will include representatives from various community stakeholders, including three representatives from veteran organizations. The Irvine City Council will take formal action on the charge and composition of the ad hoc committee on April 22, 2014.

Folks, especially veterans, are strongly encouraged to attend the April 22nd council meeting to demonstrate support in favor of the resolution and charge of the ad hoc committee. Public comments are encouraged.

At the State Legislature level, Assemblyperson Quirk-Silva, who is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Veteran Affairs, launched her support of the concept and authored AB 1453, which can be best described as the “vehicle” to pursue state and

The highly passionate ad hoc committee generated tremendous movement toward realizing a clearly defined mission; the realization of a state veterans cemetery in Orange County, specifically at the old Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

A State Veterans Cemetery in Orange County at the Horizon


Wedding Bells at MCAS El Toro

Capt. Charles V.V, Smillie, Jr. and 1st Lt. Mary L. Gini Smillie exit the chapel at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro after their wedding ceremony on Dec. 18, 1960.

Mary arrived at at El Toro in 1959 and was assigned to Women Marines Detachment - One, first as Adjutant and then as Executive Officer. In 1961 she was the Station Education Officer. Capt. Smillie was a pilot with Marine Attack Squadron All Weather (VMF (AW) 513, flying the F4-D Skyray. He retired as a Colonel in 1980, after 31 years of service. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Mary says “they returned to California in 1987, settling in Laguna Hills to be close to MCAS El Toro. When the base closed in 1999, that situation changed. And the lack of access to our military “home” and the friends we would meet when on base has been difficult.”

The former MCAS holds a special significance for Chuck and Mary.

“We met and were married at MCAS El Toro. We are now hoping that this cemetery will be available for us to finalize our time on Planet Earth where our time as a military family began. It seems appropriate.”

Photo courtesy Mary Smillie

federal funds for the initial costs in the development and construction of a state veterans cemetery. The bill has gained significant support from local state legislators and a number of legislators have agreed to co-author the bill. A most critical aspect is that the bill has generated bi-partisan support. The bill will be heard on April 29, 2014, at the State Assembly. Folks are invited to attend the meeting on this date. The bill will be heard at approximately 4:00 p.m.

The OCVMP (Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation) members realize that much still needs to be done, especially in addressing constructive steps in support of securing land for the cemetery and AB 1453. One important step in moving the concept forward is generating funds to assume costs for promotion and campaign efforts. Hence, donations will be sought as soon as the IRS grants a non-profit status to the Foundation. Donations will be tax deductible and checks can be made to OCVMPF and mailed to 15642 Sand Canyon Ave. #50531 Irvine, CA, 92619-0531. The community’s generous support is greatly appreciated. The community’s generous support is greatly appreciated. A website is being developed and that information will be distributed when the site is complete. I leave you wIth this thought in mind. If you want to be a part of an historical movement, you have a great opportunity by supporting this effort in any way possible and allowing the concept to become a reality;

A STATE VETERANS CEMETERY IN ORANGE COUNTY.

For God, Country and Veterans,Richard M. Ramirez, Ed.D.

A State Veterans Cemetery in Orange County at the Horizon


Vets pursue Great Park resting place


It's not something he's necessarily looking forward to, but Elisandro "Alex" Diaz knows exactly where he wants to rest when his life is done.

"I want to be buried here someday," he said, referring to the Orange County Great Park.

Diaz is among a small group of veterans, active soldiers and military supporters pushing for a veterans cemetery at the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

They don't know how much land they need or how much money it'll take, let alone how they'll raise it, but they have unwavering optimism along with an attention-grabbing bumper sticker: "MCAS El Toro will not be a truly Great Park without including a veterans cemetery."

Their first goal, in true military fashion, has been to seek allies. But no matter how many friends they recruit to the cause, victory is hardly guaranteed.

"Our first challenge is the land. We know that," said Richard Ramirez, the group's leader.

In recruiting supporters, the group started at the top, inviting Great Park CEO Mike Ellzey to a recent meeting despite having no formal offer or proposal. Ramirez, talking strategy before the meeting, said they needed to

present sound reasoning for a cemetery and lobby for a feasibility study.

"We're looking for allies. We're looking for folks to say, 'Geez, why not?'" Ramirez told Ellzey.

"You won't hear no from me," Ellzey said, while emphasizing that he wasn't the decision-maker on what would be built at the park. He said the group needed to talk to Emile Haddad, the CEO of FivePoint Communities and the developer of private homes north of the park.

"I'm an island in the middle of their private development," Ellzey said.

Getting the private developer on board would make it easier for Ellzey to propose the project to elected leaders.It wasn't long ago that the developer was in the midst of a legal battle over a cemetery plan at the park. Forest Lawn accused the developer, at the time Lennar Corp., of backing out of an exclusive deal; Lennar argued it thought Forest Lawn was no longer interested. The case was settled out of court in 2010.

Article by Kimberly PierceallPhotos by Mackenzie ReissCourtesy of Orange County Register Published: June 19, 2013 Updated: Aug. 21, 2013 12:28 p.m.

Continued


As for the latest cemetery effort, a spokesman for FivePoint said in an email that the developer "is unaware of any specific proposal so it would be inappropriate to comment on a decision that rightly belongs with the public officials who oversee the Great Park. FivePoint will continue to work with the leaders of the Great Park to balance the needs of the diverse community the park serves."

The city has been negotiating with FivePoint for a deal that would allow the company to develop the rest of the Great Park itself in exchange for more residential homes surrounding it.More than 10 years ago, the plan for the Great Park envisioned 96 acres set aside for a cemetery, just south of Trabuco Road and north of a proposed golf course. Then it became 73 acres. Then, the plan to use land for a cemetery was

gone, as was a plan for a golf course."That was something we had promised the public," said Christina Shea, who served on the City Council from 1992 to 2000, 2002 to 2010 and was elected, again, last year. She said the city's staff talked with the federal government about establishing a national cemetery there, to no avail.

"We just couldn't really get anywhere," she said.

She hasn't received a formal proposal from Ramirez's group, but the group has sent letters to the city, including Mayor Steven Choi, who responded that "there are no plans at this time for a cemetery in the Orange County Great Park Master Plan.""Maybe we should start talking about it again," Shea said.

Photo, page 4, top left: In a photo taken last June, veterans Bill Cook, from left, Elisandro “Alex” Diaz, Louie Quezada, Peter Katz, Brian Chuchua, Zeke Hernandez and Richard Ramirez stand and salute at the Great Park. The men are part of a group of Orange County veterans advocating for a veterans cemetery in the Orange County Great Park, which was once the home of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.

Photo, page 4, bottom right: Bumper stickers produced by a group of veterans advocating for a veterans cemetery to be built at the Orange County Great Park. (Photos by Mackenzie Reiss, Staff Photos)

Vets pursue Great Park resting place

Continued

And if it's a cemetery proposed for the city's portion of land, the developer would be involved in the conversations, but ultimately, "FivePoint really doesn't have a say," she said.

The pro-cemetery group, some who had never seen the Great Park until recently, is made up of members of an ad hoc committee formed by Anaheim-based Los Amigos of Orange County to look into bringing a national cemetery to the region. Their effort has been recognized with endorsements, but not financial ones, from Orange County's American Legion groups.

They've since scaled back their goal to a state veterans cemetery rather than a national cemetery. The latter requires considerable federal funding, and new locations are only considered if they're farther than 75 miles away from the nearest national cemetery. Orange County has two within those boundaries, in Riverside and San Diego.

If they get the land they want, it would be donated to the state, and then an ally in Sacramento would need to usher through legislation designating the cemetery, said Stephen Jorgensen, California's assistant deputy secretary of Veterans Memorials and Cemeteries.

The group sought Jorgensen's advice recently.

An effort to establish Fort Ord cemetery in Monterey came with a requirement to set up an endowment to cover the costs of operations and burials.

"Because of that requirement, the cemetery has been slow to get launched," Jorgensen said, saying it has taken six years so far. "It could be quite a bit of money."

He agreed there's a need in Orange County for a dedicated cemetery, though. Jorgensen, a former director of the Riverside National Cemetery, knows all too well that it's a long commute between it and Orange County. "Most people don't bury people that far away," he said.

Brian Chuchua's family didn't. His grandfather, a cavalry captain in World War I, is buried at Rose Hills because it's closer.

Vets pursue Great Park resting place"It's a shame to have to fight the 91 (freeway)," to get to Riverside National Cemetery, he said.

He sat suited on a step of the terraced lawn at the Great Park looking out toward a field lined with rectangular steppingstones as if they were in military-precision formation. He's been the cautionary member of the group, and a nonmilitary member. At a recent meeting, Chuchua was the only one to suggest that the bumper stickers could offend Great Park officials. He's no stranger to politics, having run unsuccessfully for Anaheim City Council in November.

"You've got to convince the city and the mayor that it's going to bring attention to Irvine," he said.

Chuchua said the Great Park appeared to be an ideal location for a cemetery. "This is perfect design," he said.

Contact the writer: 949-864-6371 or [email protected]


Irvine doesn't have a single cemetery. Orange County doesn't have a single cemetery specifically for veterans. Tuesday night, after a sometimes emotional debate, four out of five Irvine leaders voted to support an Assembly bill that calls for a state veteran cemetery in Orange County and to consider offering up 100 acres at the Great Park for a site.

Consider is the key word, though. While supporters of the efforts – among them, those wearing medals on their blazers, patches on vets and cross-section of military uniforms – cheered inside City Hall late Tuesday as if they had won a deed to the land, what was approved was just an expression of “strong interest” in offering up 100 acres.

C o u n c i l m e m b e r s who supported the resolution noted that it doesn't legally obligate the city to do anything beyond consider it. Councilman Jeff Lalloway noted that there would still be many factors to study including how the land, wherever it is, would be

“but maybe it is fair, fitting and the right thing to do,” he said. “Maybe, just maybe, we owe them that

much.”

The nearest national cemeteries open for burials are in Riverside and San Diego a distance criticized by veterans and members of the public at the meeting who said it's too far a drive for families to visit loved ones.

But Riverside and San Diego cemeteries are still within 75 miles of

Orange County, the distance taken into account before the federal government considers opening a new national cemetery.

That's why veteran cemetery advocates are seeking a state cemetery.

There are three state cemeteries

open or in the works all in Northern and Central California, including Fort Ord cemetery in Monterey that has been slow to launch because of a requirement to set up an endowment to cover operations and burials costs.

Veterans cheer Irvine’s cemetery support, but there’s no guaranteeArticle by Kimberly Pierceall / Staff WriterPhoto by Mindy SchauerArticle and photo courtesy Orange County Register Published: March 12, 2014 Updated: March 19, 2014 1:27 p.m.

transferred (Sale? Lease? Gift?). Land for state cemeteries would need to be transferred to the state.

Assembly Bill 1453 introduced by Sharon Quirk-Silva in January doesn't name the Great Park specifically, but a group of veterans has eyed wide-open acreage at the former El Toro Marine Base for some time.

Wayne Greenleaf was among 30 people who spoke in support of the cemetery during public comments, telling the council that it wasn't necessary, nor required, for local leaders to give veterans like himself a final resting place closer to home,

A feng shui consultant the developer hired to assist in its home and residential neighborhood design has said that a nearby cemetery could pose a problem for Asian buyers.

A mourner kneels among a field of flags decorating gravesites at the Riverside National Cemetery, the nearest cemetery for Orange County veterans.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, File Photo)


A feng shui consultant the developer hired to assist in its home and residential neighborhood design has said that a nearby cemetery could pose a problem for Asian buyers.

In a letter to the Council, Brian Myers with FivePoint Communities reminded the city’s leaders of land-use restrictions relative to its development agreement and pointed out that there had been no study of how a veteran cemetery would impact the park’s plan before Tuesday’s meeting.

“However, we are willing to engage in a study process with the city for potential sites in the city and the surrounding areas of the county,” he wrote.

The bill would still need to make it first through the Committee on Veterans Affairs chaired by Quirk-Silva, Committee on Appropriations, then the full Assembly and then the Senate and signed by Governor Brown by Aug. 31. Since it’s the end of a two-year legislative term, the bill would die if that doesn’t happen. If it becomes a law, the state would need to apply for and win federal funding. The bill isn’t on the Veterans Affairs committee’s calendar, yet, but John Spangler, the committee’s chief consultant, said he expects it to be heard either April 8 or April 29. It needs to pass in the Assembly by May 30.

No other Orange County sites have been considered, yet, besides the Great Park but that doesn’t necessarily mean that other sites may not exist.

Agran also asked that the city manager assemble an ad hoc committee made up of veterans and representatives from the developer to look at options for a cemetery.

Contact the writer: 949-864-6371 or [email protected]

Councilwoman Christina Shea had misgivings though about sending a signal that the city could offer 100 acres of Great Park land, citing contractual agreements the city has with its private development partner FivePoint Communities and legal restrictions on the land.

“I can't make a promise tonight that the Great Park will be the exact site,” she said. Her proposal to instead support the Assembly bill but call for a study looking at the costs and land opportunities at the Great Park failed by a vote of 2-3 with just Mayor Steven Choi agreeing. While she spoke, a couple members of the crowd shouted back or loudly coughed. And when she was done, there was silence – unlike the raucous applause after other city council members spoke in support of the cemetery resolution.

Councilman Larry Agran who proposed the city's resolution of support Tuesday, said it was possible to work with FivePoint and said they needed to move “very, very quickly” to seize the moment at hand. “I think this bill is going to sail through the Assembly,” Agran said later.

A veterans’ cemetery at the Great Park is far from a certainty. A public cemetery had been included in early Great Park plans and would have been on property owned by developer Heritage Fields – now FivePoint Communities. But in an amended agreement with the developer, the cemetery was removed from its obligations. The developer also settled a lawsuit with Forest Lawn after it nixed its cemetery plan.

NUMBER OF VETERANS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles County: 345,098Riverside County: 139,008Orange County: 136,611

San Bernardino County: 108,816Kern County: 45,745

Imperial County: 6,631

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2008-2012

Veterans cheer Irvine’s cemetery support, but there’s no guarantee


By Noel Danseco

Gedunk Humor


On 25 June 1950, the young Cold War suddenly turned hot, bloody and expensive. Within a few days, North Korea’s invasion of South Korea brought about a United Nations’ “police action” against the aggressors. That immediately produced heavy military and naval involvement by the United States. While there were no illusions that the task would be easy, nobody expected that this violent conflict would continue for more than three years.

Throughout the summer of 1950, the U.S. and the other involved United Nations’ states scrambled to contain

The Korean War - 61st Anniversary

Inchon Invasion. First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, USMC, leads the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines over the seawall on the northern side of Red Beach, as the second assault wave lands, 15 September 1950. Wooden scaling ladders are in use to facilitate disembarkation from the LCVP that brought these men to the shore. Lt. Lopez was killed in action within a few minutes, while assaulting a North Korean bunker. U.S. Marine Corps Photograph, NHHC Collection.

Four LSTs unload men and equipment while “high and dry” at low tide on Inchon’s Red Beach, 16 September 1950, the day after the initial landings there. Note bombardment damage to the building in center foreground, many trucks at work, Wolmi-Do island in the left background and the causeway connecting the island to Inchon.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives.

Defense of the Pusan Perimeter, 1950. PFC Harold R. Bates and PFC Richard N. Martin rest atop the third objective that U.S. Marines seized overlooking the Naktong River, South Korea, 19 August 1950. Photographed by Sgt. Frank C. Kerr, USMC.Note: Canteen in use, M1 Rifle carried by one Marine and M1 carbine with fixed bayonet carried by the other, who has a bayonet scabbard attached to his leg. Official U.S. Marine Corps Photograph, from the “All Hands” collection at the Naval Historical Center.

Continued


North Korea’s fast-moving army, assemble the forces necessary to defeat it and simultaneously begin to respond to what was seen as a global military challenge from the Communist world.

Though America’s Armed Forces had suffered from several years’ of punishing fiscal constraints, the end of World War II just five years earlier had left a vast potential for recovery. U.S. materiel reserves held large quantities of relatively modern ships, aircraft, military equipment and production capacity that could be reactivated in a fraction of the time necessary to build them anew. More importantly, the organized Reserve forces included tens of thousands of trained people, whose World War II experiences remained reasonably fresh and relevant.

In mid-September 1950 a daring amphibous invasion at Inchon fractured the North Korean war machine. In the following two months UN armies pushed swiftly through North Korea. However, with victory seemingly in sight, China intervened openly, and the Soviet Union not-so-openly, on the side of their defeated fellow Communist neighbor. The UN was thrown back midway into South Korea. Early in the new year, the Chinese army was in turn contained and forced to retreat.

By the middle of 1951, the front lines had stabilized near where the war started twelve months earlier. Negotiations began amid hopes that an early truce could be arranged. But this took two more frustrating years, during which the contending forces fought on, with the U.S. Navy providing extensive air and gunfire support, a constant amphibious threat, relentless minesweeping and a large logistics effort.

Finally, on 27 July 1953, with a new regime in the USSR and the blunting of a final Communist offensive, negotiations concluded and fighting ended. However, the Cold War, warmed up by the Korean experience, would would maintain its costly existence for nearly four more decades.

The Korean War - 61st Anniversary

Marine Stretcher Bearers carry a wounded Marine from the front lines to a forward aid station, in Korea, circa August 1950. Official U.S. Marine Corps Photograph, from the “All Hands” collection at the Naval Historical Center.

Defense of the Pusan Perimeter, Summer 1950. Gun crew of the 64th Field Artillery Battalion, 25th Infantry Division, fire a 105mm howitzer on North Korean positions near Uirson, South Korea, 27 August 1950. Photographed by PFC Wayne H. Weidner. Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Article and photos courtesy of Naval History & Heritage Command

www.history.navy.mil


S a n C l e m e n t e Ve t e r a n R e c e i v e s F r e n c h L e g i o n o f H o n o rJames Anthony Reiss, 88, of San Clemente, California, will receive the Chevalier dans l’ordre National de la Le-gion of d’Honneur (National Legion of Honor) for his distinguished service in France during World War II.

A San Clemente resident since 1988, Reiss is one of five veterans to be presented the Legion of Honor Award by French Deputy Consul General Fabrice Maiofino at a private ceremony Thursday, February 27, 2014, 11 a.m. at the California State Veterans Home in Chula Vista. Family and friends will also honor him at a private re-ception at Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente on Sunday, March 2, 2014.

Created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to honor ex-traordinary contributions to the country, the Legion of Honor is France’s highest distinction. U.S. veter-ans, who risked their life during World War II to fight on French territory, can be appointed to the rank of Knight. American recipients include Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Mi-chael Mullen, and even, as an institution, the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Reiss served in the 106th U.S. Army Infantry Division during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium where he was wounded and taken prisoner on December 15, 1944 by

the German army. He was 19 years-old at the time.

Reiss and his division from Camp Atterbury, Indiana, replaced the 2nd Infantry Division in the Ardennes For-est in December of 1944. His division held for two days before being encircled and captured.

Suffering from shrapnel wounds to his leg, left foot, and back, and frost bite to his feet, Reiss spent four months in Nazi prisoner of war hospitals and POW camps north of Koln, Germany, before being liberated by Allied Forces near the end of the war. He underwent many surgeries and lost 70 pounds while a POW because of lack of food for prisoners and rampant illness in the camp.

At one point Reiss and other inmates thought of escap-ing. “We were being guarded by old men. Getting away wouldn’t have been a problem,” Reiss recounted. “But, our officers pointed out that General Patton’s 32nd Divi-sion was advancing toward the area and without knowing their secret password, we could have been shot by our own troops. So we stayed put and watched as the Allies broke through and liberated the camp on Easter Sunday, 1945.”

Until three years ago the Legion d’Honneur was only awarded to French citizens, but other Allied troops may now receive the honor for distinguished service to France. Reiss is delighted and humbled by the honor.

“I have the highest regard for the French people. I owe them a lot. When I was hospitalized, a French medic (also a POW) refused to amputate my foot as recom-mended by the POW hospital doctors. The only reason I still have that foot today is because of the care he gave me day after day,” said Reiss.

Among other U.S. military honors, Reiss was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He still has a piece of the shrapnel in his leg.

After the war Reiss returned to his home state of Michi-gan, graduated from the University of Michigan, and began his career in sales for General Motors. He even-tually transferred from Detroit to Southern California where he met and married his wife of 60 years, Jeanne. They have four children and nine grandchildren.

Reiss is a twenty-year active member of the San Cle-mente Kiwanis Club where he has served twice as its President. He is one of the founders of the Club’s Foun-dation, which was set up to fund worthwhile education-al and civic projects benefiting children and families. Courtesy, via Antoinette Balta: Tom Marshall: 949-492-2631 [email protected] Jan McKay: 316-650-8503 [email protected]

James Anthony Reiss receives the French Legion of Honor Feb. 27 for distinguished service in France during World War II.

Photo courtesy Jan McKay


Memor ia l Day Event sAnaheim

A National Candle Lighting Memorial in Anaheim for All Fallen U.S. Soldiers.

Saturday, May 17, 1-2 p.m., with brief program at 1:30 p.m. at Anaheim Veterans Monument located at the corner of Anaheim Blvd. and Broadway. Parking for the event is available in the parking structure behind Anaheim City Hall (200 S. Anaheim Blvd.), or on Center Street. All are welcome to attend anytime during the hour to pay respects to all fallen military members.

For more information on veterans and military programs offered by the City of Anaheim, please visit www.anaheim.net/veterans. Media contact: Ruth Ruiz, (714) 765-5060 office, (714) 420-7797 mobile.

Resources2014 Veterans Resource Book

Eddie L. FalconLocal Interagency Network Coordinator/Veterans Service DivisionCalifornia Department of Veterans Affairs714-480-6463 (Direct) / 714-916-7952 (Cell)www.calvet.ca.gov

Serving Veterans in Orange County

(Orange~Santa Ana~Tustin) Co Sponsored by the Orange County Cemetery District

Monday May 26, 2014 at 10:00 A.M.

1919 Santa Clara Ave Santa Ana, California 92701

“WWI: The War to End All Wars” The 100th Anniversary of World War I

Dedicated to the memory of our fallen comrades in arms

Sponsored by

Veteran & Community Service Organizations Including Salutes by Civil War Cannons

& Veteran Honor Squad

Parade of Flags, Memorial Wreaths Music, Speeches & Much More!

Fullerton

101st Airborne Saluted in Fullerton Memorial Day Service

The 70th anniversary of the D-Day and the role played by the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne will be the focus of a special salute Monday, May 26, at the 76th Annual Fullerton Memorial Day Observance.

The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at Loma Vista Memorial Park. The event is free to the public.

(Orange~Santa Ana~Tustin) Co Sponsored by the Orange County Cemetery District

Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 8:00 A.M.

1919 Santa Clara Ave Santa Ana, California 92701

Meet by the cemetery office on the Santa Ana Cemetery grounds.

(to your right as you enter off Santa Clara)

Bring a screw driver to ensure the flag pole goes in as deep for a stronger hold

Flags will be provided by the Orange County

Cemetery District. Come help the Girl Scouts hunt For Veterans head stones


Employment: Helmets to Hard HatsLOCAL JOBS-GENERATING AGREEMENT CHAMPIONED BY COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE JOSE SOLORIO March 25, 2014 Unique Community and Student Workforce Project Agreement Includes "Local Hire" and "Helmets To Hardhats" Requirements for Construction Projects Santa Ana, CA -- The Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Board of Trustees approved an agreement yesterday that will create thousands of

local jobs while improving education facilities at Santa Ana College. The agreement requires 66 percent of all those hired to work on upcoming construction projects at Santa Ana College to live in Orange County and 50

percent to live within the college district’s jurisdiction cities, including Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange, Tustin, Irvine and Villa Park. The measure will also help veterans to enter and succeed in construction through a "helmets to hardhats" program that has been implemented successfully in other communities. Present and past RSCCD students in local construction apprenticeship programs will also benefit under the agreement's local hire program. “I’m proud we are building new classrooms and facilities at Santa Ana College, but I’m just as proud that the majority of the construction work will be performed by our local residents,” said Jose Solorio, President of the Board of Trustees. “A project of this magnitude has a multiplier effect that positively impacts not just these workers, but our entire local economy.” Using data from other construction projects, Community College Trustee Solorio estimated the agreement will create or save 2,880 jobs. Matching local and state dollars could mean the impact is even greater, he said. While the economy has rebounded somewhat, its downward spiral in the past years has been hard-felt in Orange County's construction

A “Helmets To Hardhats” program is a component of the Community

and Student Workforce Project Agreement for contruction projects

at Santa Ana College.

industry. The Community and Student Workforce Project Agreement will undoubtedly help get local residents back to work. The college construction project is the result of Measure Q, a $198 million bond measure approved by Santa Ana voters in 2012. The measure will fund the upgrading of career training facilities for science, nursing, technology and other trade programs. In addition, it will help repair, construct and acquire classrooms, facilities, technology, equipment and security systems for students at Santa Ana College. Community College Trustee Jose Solorio is the President of the Board of Trustees for the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which oversees Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College, and represents 700,000 residents in the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin, and Villa Park. Prior to that, he represented the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana in the State Assembly for six years. He holds a bachelor's degree from UC Irvine and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.

For more information: Maricela Taylor (714) 794-8431To learn more about Trustee Solorio, please visit him online at Facebook.com/Solorio4California, Twitter.com/JoseSolorio and SolorioForSenate.com.

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Employment: Hi re a Pat r iot & OC Register

OC Register in Partnership with Hire A Patriot is featuring OCVeteran job seekers weekly.

Veterans seeking employment and would like to be featured on theOC Register, please send your resume with 1 -2 paragraph bio including branch of service, years in service, face pic and your updated resume. Thank you! The OC Register in partnership with Hire A Patriot will be featuring an Orange County Veteran Job Seeker every week on Sunday's paper under the Job Section! Thousands of employers view this section, don't miss this opportunity to showcase your talents. Please send your information to:[email protected]

To all of our Patriots, Thank you for your service! David & Carolyn Hire A Patriot [email protected] (657) 215-5025

About Hire A Patriot


Memorial DayThree years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Local Observances Claim To Be First Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in

various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.

Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began

there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the s t a t e m e n t that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where

most of the war dead were buried.

Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

ContinuedPhoto by Sgt. Michael Tuttle, Army 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment 061024-A-1982T095


Article Courtesy: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

Some States Have Confederate Observances Many Southern states also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.

Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of springtime” urged: “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

The crowd attending the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was approximately the

Memorial Day

same size as those that attend today’s observance, about 5,000 people. Then, as now, small American flags were placed on each grave — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

Photo: 100707-M-7110J-082CAMP DELARAM I, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Sergeant Maj. Phillip Fascetti, sergeant major of 1st Marine Division Forward, prays in front of a battle cross during a memorial ceremony, July 7, 2010. Fascetti joined the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment to honor three fallen Marines.(Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ned Johnson)


IRVINE, Calif. (July 20, 2013) Retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Bill Paxton visits the Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during its visit to Irvine July 20. The Vietnam Veterans of America and Vision2Victory, are instrumental in bringing the wall along with the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance, to Woodbridge Community Park July 18-21. (Photo by Alex T. Diaz)


the oc sentinel no. 4 apr2014

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