By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor
Lake Arrowhead resident Mike Hewitt shared his journey in the U.S. Army, which took him to Germany and Vietnam, at the annual Veterans Day observance held at Arrowhead Ridge.
The choir from Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church provided the music for the Veterans Day observance.
The crowd was welcomed by Polly Sauer, who has co-chaired the event with VFW Auxiliary member Maureen Mann for several years. “We acknowledge the land on which the Arrowhead Ridge preserve is sited is the ancestral territory of the Serrano people,” she said. “Our histories and stories are intertwined in this space. By sharing them in a culturally appropriate way, we hope to honor and celebrate our indigenous neighbors.”
Mistress of ceremonies Gloria Loring also welcomed the crowd and introduced the Rev. Randall Buecheler, pastor of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, who offered an opening prayer.
Boy Scouts Alex Heinz, Arthur Cortopassi and Wyatt DeBruyn folded a retired American flag under the watchful eye of their Scoutmaster, Charles DeBruyn.
Following the posting of the colors by the color guard, Scouts Arthur Cortopassi, Wyatt DeBruyn and Alex Heinz of Boy Scout Troop 89 folded a retired American flag. The colors were then raised by veterans, assisted by members of the Women’s Club of Lake Arrowhead.
Dr. Patrick Rains led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the choir from Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church singing the national anthem with the audience joining in. They were directed by Bob Scholz, the church’s music director.
Hewitt then shared his story, noting he wanted to be a firefighter when he got out of school but no department would hire him without his having fulfilled his military obligation. He joined the Army in January 1965 and requested a posting in Germany. While there, he took an interest in demolition.
“I became an instructor, teaching people going to Vietnam everything we knew they should know. I told them, what you learn here today may save your life.”
And then Hewitt got the surprising news that he himself was being sent to Vietnam as they were in dire need of people with experience with explosives. He was told to make up a 10-man demolition team. Their job: Rappel down from a helicopter and use explosives to create a landing zone so the helicopter could land and extract the wounded.
When Hewitt left the Army, he finally became a firefighter, serving 34 years in Los Angeles. As he was about to retire, he heard about the Run for the Wall – a cross-country ride from California to the Vietnam wall in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Linda, made that trip twice, taking both the northern and the southern routes.
While motorcycles are not usually permitted in Arlington National Cemetery, 200 bikes were allowed to ride in to present a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then, on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, Hewitt participated in Rolling Thunder when more than 500,000 motorcycles staged in the Pentagon parking lot and then participated in the Memorial Day parade on Constitution Avenue.
Jack Lindeman gave his Patriot’s Pen essay after being presented with a check by Jay Rynda and Joe Aquino (right).
“I’ll never forget the Marine in dress blues who saluted us for five hours,” Hewitt said.
Joe Aquino, the commander of VFW Post 9624, and Jay Rynda, president of the Lake Arrowhead Rotary Club, introduced Jack Lindeman, winner for the second year in a row of the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen award. This year’s theme: “My voice in America’s democracy.”
“We want these young Americans to tell us the great things about being an American,” Aquino said.
Jack – an eighth-grader at Packinghouse Christian Academy – noted that “there are many ways for my voice to be heard – through voting and freedom of speech. Having a voice to be heard is very reassuring.”
In the U.S., he reminded everyone, “our leader is elected by the people. Voting for our leader is an important way for our voice to be heard.”
As for freedom of speech, Jack said that “having the ability to say what I want to say is reassuring. I am proud to live in such a great country. That is my voice in America’s democracy.”
Quilts of Valor were presented by Dr. Ginger Gabriel to Ron Doutt, Abel Hernandez, Paul McLanahan, Fred Rios and Barry Hoy.
As she does every year, Dr. Ginger Gabriel, assisted by a couple of her quilters, presented Quilts of Valor, this year to five veterans. The first such quilt was presented in 2003 to an injured soldier at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The quilt, Gabriel noted, “is a tangible reminder of our thanks and appreciation for the veteran’s service. We cover the veterans with comforting and healing. We wrap them in big quilt hugs.”
One mother, she said, sews a part of her fallen son’s shirts in every quilt she makes. One recipient told Gabriel that the quilt meant more to her than when a general pinned a Purple Heart on her.
This year Quilts of Valor were presented to:
- Barry Hoy, who served in the Air Force from October 1970 through October 1977.
- Fred Rios, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy from January 1961 through January 1965.
- Paul McLanahan, U.S. Army, who was deployed to Iraq where he searched house to house for militants.
- Abel Hernandez, who served for 22 years in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. The major was deployed five times. He led 550 men into combat and came out with 550 alive.
- Ron Doutt, a Vietnam veteran who joined the Army as a 2nd lieutenant after participating in ROTC while in college.
The Veterans Day observance ended with the Armed Forces medley during which veterans who had served in each branch stood and were recognized.
Following closing remarks by Loring and a benediction by Pastor Buecheler, U.S. Navy veteran Lou Novins played “Taps.”
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