Marshall Allen
MONTROSE -- Lt. John Charles Sweet and 98 others lost their lives on
May 22, 1968, when the U.S. nuclear submarine Scorpion sank under 10,000
feet of water in the mid-Atlantic.
Sweet's name is listed with 19 other local young men -- the oldest was
22 -- on the Vietnam War Memorial in the Montrose Shopping Park. Sweet
was from La Canada Flintridge.
It is not known exactly why the U.S.S. Scorpion sank.
At 8 a.m. May 27, Memorial Day, Sweet and the other local soldiers who
lost their lives will be honored for their service at the Vietnam War
Memorial in Montrose Shopping Park, at the corner of Honolulu Avenue and
Ocean View Blvd. The service will be one of several in the community on
Memorial Day.
"We should always remember the boys that aren't alive," said Frank
Roberts, CEO of the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce.
The Montrose salute to Vietnam veterans began as a small event in
1967, said Valorie DiDonna, chairwoman of the Memorial Day event. Now,
the ceremony features about 100 people, she said. Memorial Day is
significant to DiDonna because her grandfather, father, uncle and two
brothers served in either the Marines or the Navy, she said. The
Memorial Day ceremony will feature many local dignitaries and community
groups, including the Boy Scouts, and the ROTC program from Crescenta
Valley High School.
The city of Glendale's Memorial Day celebration will feature several
local and state officials. Attendees will be addressed by John Gong,
deputy division commander (support) of the 40th Infantry Division
California Army National Guard. Music will be by the 40th Division Army
Band and a 40th Division color guard will present the colors. There will
be no 21-gun salute this year because the units are deployed, Sgt. Carvel
Gay said.
LOCAL MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS
WHAT: Glendale Memorial ceremony.
WHEN: 9:30 a.m., Monday, May 27.
WHERE: The Glendale Veteran's Memorial adjacent to Glendale City Hall,
633 E. Broadway.
WHAT: Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce Memorial Day Service.
WHEN: 8 a.m. Monday, May 27.
WHERE: At the corner of Oceanview Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue.
For more information, call Valorie DiDonna at (661) 269-1371.
WHAT: Memorial Day program at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, featuring
the 40th Infantry Division Band of the California National Guard.
WHEN: 11 a.m. Monday, May 27.
WHERE: Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive.
