Veterans Day: LA County throngs turn out under sunny skies to honor those who served
Veterans Day #VeteransDay
Blue skies and ideal weather welcomed Southern Californians who turned out by the thousands to honor their myriad neighbors who served the nation in the armed forces.
Among the most homespun of tributes, the San Fernando Valley Veterans Day parade returned on Saturday at 11:11 a.m. as it does on the holiday each year.
Regarded widely as the biggest Veterans Day event in Los Angeles County, the parade held to its tradition of allowing only vets and their families ride in the 1.1-mile-long procession, which wound from Laurel Canyon and San Fernando Mission boulevards in Mission Hills, down Laurel Canyon Boulevard, and finally to Paxton Street at the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center in Pacoima.
Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-Panorama City, served as the grand marshal.
Menjivar served in the Marine Corps from 2009-16, enlisting when she was 20, shortly after receiving an associate’s degree in fire technology from Los Angeles Valley College. She had hoped to be a Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter, but a hiring freeze prompted by the recession delayed that plan.
“When I was in high school, I was part of the Police Academy Magnet where our main teacher was a Marine veteran,” Menjivar, a Reseda High School graduate, said. “Each time we ran, we would run to a Marine Corps cadence. We would do mini-obstacle courses copied after the courses Marine recruits had to complete.
“He spoke about the camaraderie, the physicality needed to be a Marine, and the fact that they were known as the best. I wanted to be part of that, I wanted to be ready for the fire department when they started hiring again, and I loved being on teams, so I joined the Marine Corps.”
Menjivar was mainly stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego and served as a radio operator and platoon sergeant. She was briefly stationed at Camp Pendleton where she also worked as a military police officer.
Menjivar was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and twice awarded the Marine Corps Reserve Medal.
What asked what she learned in the Corps, Menjivar responded, “It’s all relative! When I think about boot camp, when I think about all the things I did while in the Corps, nothing seems as hard as what I went through.
“Those 10-mile hikes, out in the field without showering, standing at attention under the sun, working out all the time, getting screamed out, sleepless nights, really early mornings, and ‘hurry up and wait,’ is the bar I compare everything to. I am very flexible, I can adjust on the spot, I can be in uncomfortable situations, I can work forever, I follow direction, I’m a team player and, overall, the leadership skills I’ve learned are invaluable.”
Menjivar called “wearing the uniform, especially the dress blues,” the highlight of her Marine Corps service.
“The camaraderie is what I miss the most, which is why I will light up each time I am around another Marine,” Menjivar said. “I loved being at the shooting range, shooting all types of weapons, throwing grenades, but my favorite was practicing with a an M249 light machine gun.
“It definitely didn’t hurt to be a sergeant in charge of about 50 Marines and leading their daily schedules, especially as a woman.”
Menjivar said her service in the Marine Corps “made me the person I am today.”
“The Marine Corps saved my life,” she said. “I was dealing with familial issues, trying to find a place to land, to feel part of something bigger and Marine Corps did just that.
“It was the best decision I could have made. I got to work with all types of people from across the country and now have friends in every corner of the states. Marines, no matter if we’ve never met will always be there for each other, because we are ‘Semper Fidelis.”‘
The popular parade, which draws thousands of Angelenos, was founded by Fred A. Flores, a U.S. Marine veteran.
“Veterans Day is about honoring our veterans and their family members for their sacrifices, their service and commitment to our country and community we live in,” said Flores, who thanked state Assemblywoman Luz Rivas and Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez for their help with the parade.
“When we inaugurated this parade, we had no idea how the community would react to a parade strictly to honor veterans and their families,” he said. “Most parades have community groups, sports groups, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we pay tribute to America’s heroes — the veterans and their families of our Armed Forces.“
The parade was created by Flores in honor of his late son Alfred Anthony Flores, Jr. who died in 2009. The younger Flores gave his father the idea “so veterans and their families would not have to drive far for a parade.”
For Whittier, recognition of veterans has long been part of the city’s tradition, city officials said. This year’s celebration was held Saturday at Central Park. The ceremony included the posting of colors and recognition of all branches of the armed forces and military.
There was music throughout the morning, from the singing of the National Anthem to special musical performances by local students and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department band.
Soon to turn 100 years old, Jimmie Rosa was honored for his service in the Army from 1943-1946. Rosa beamed as he was presented with several proclamations.
The city also hosted veterans advocacy groups at the event, including members of the American Legion Post 51 and Point Man International Ministries in Whittier, which serves veterans with supportive resources.
Local elected officials and community leaders paid tribute to Long Beach veterans and their families at Houghton Park.
Long Beach honored four individuals and organizations who’ve dedicated themselves to serving the city’s veteran population — which totals around 16,000 individuals and their families — during the free event.
Rev. Dr. O. Leon Wood Jr., who has served an educator, community activist and pastor at various Southern California institutions, including Long Beach City College, over the past 50 years, according to his LinkedIn profile, was named the 2023 Veterans Day Celebration Grand Marshall.
Two nonprofits, the April Parker Foundation and Veterans Stand Together, were designated as Outstanding Community Organizations on Saturday.
The April Parker Foundation provides veterans and other marginalized groups in Long Beach with access to health, economic development, and supportive service resources, according to its website.
Veterans Stand Together, meanwhile, is a national nonprofit with a branch in South Gate. Its mission, the organization’s website said, is to help veterans experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder, as well as other mental health conditions.
Long Beach also presented Juanita Wilson, a longtime volunteer who’s dedicated her time to serving veterans and unhoused folks, with an Outstanding Volunteer Award. The event also featured a community resource fair, various live performances and historic aircraft flyovers.
Redondo Beach’s ceremony, at the city’s Veterans Memorial in Veterans Park, was hosted by the city’s Veterans Memorial Task Force and the Redondo Beach Elks Lodge No. 1378..
Keynote speaker, retired Air Force fighter pilot Col. Kenneth Hughey, shared his experiences as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for more than six years.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, and other local officials, including Mayor Bill Brand, veterans and military dignitaries also participated. The 562nd Air National Guard Band of the West Coast played patriotic music throughout the event, and a barbecue followed the ceremony, which was free for veterans.
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David G. Smith, a special assistant to the commanding general of the California State Guard, was the keynote speaker for the Veterans Day ceremony at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn spoke at events in Norwalk and Cerritos. “Speaking about the importance of ensuring the support of our service members does not end at the battlefield’s edge,” her communications director Liz Odendahl said, citing “the work that she is doing to bring unhoused veterans inside.”
Azusa, Carson, Hawaiian Gardens, Lancaster, Malibu, Palmdale, Pasadena, San Dimas and Santa Clarita were among the other L.A. County cities holding Veterans Day ceremonies.
Each approved regional site received a supply of official Veterans Day posters, military ceremonial support from the Department of Defense and a certificate from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough for inclusion in the official program.
Veterans Day has its roots in a proclamation issued by President Woodrow Wilson in November 1919, a year after World War I ended, designating Nov. 11 as Armistice Day.
States soon started declaring Nov. 11 a legal holiday. Congress made it a federal holiday in 1938, dedicated to the cause of world peace.
In 1954, following World War II and the Korean War, Congress, at the urging of veterans service organizations, passed a law renaming Armistice Day Veterans Day. From 1971-77, Veterans Day was held in late October. A 1975 law returned it to Nov. 11, beginning in 1978.