Rosette Gonzales
After Veterans Day passed last year without an event in the city of
Glendale, Don Biggs, the city's assistant fire chief and a Vietnam
War veteran, decided he wasn't going to let that happen again.
Biggs, also the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Citizenship
and Patriotism Committee, organized a Veterans Day Picnic at Fremont
Park on Thursday, as veterans, family members and friends of veterans
came together to share service stories and enjoy a barbecue lunch.
The Veterans Day event was the first put on by the chamber, and
Biggs hopes it will grow with the help of the community.
"Hopefully, we'll get some people to come to the committee and
stir things up a bit," he said.
"I felt the city of Glendale needs to have a program to get our
veterans together," Biggs said.
The picnic's aim is to allow veterans in the Glendale area and
those who support veterans to meet and discuss their past service, as
well as demonstrate support for those presently serving the country,
he said.
"When we have Americans who are in harm's way in Iraq and
Afghanistan, it's all the more important to honor those who serve,"
Rep. Adam Schiff said.
Meg Dersarkissian, 20, recently enlisted in the Air Force and
attended the picnic to hear the experiences of servicemen and women
who paved the way before her.
"I just wanted to come out and meet veterans and hear their
stories," she said. "I spoke to the colonel, and he did the exact
same thing that I want to do in the Air Force."
Dersarkissian plans to get a bachelor's degree and become an Air
Force officer.
The colonel who Dersarkissian referred to is retired Lt. Col.
David Worley, who made a career out of the armed services, serving
from 1975 until 2002 in the Air Force.
He led a group of JROTC students from Crescenta Valley High School
to perform a Color Guard ceremony during the event. He said when
students participate in such an event, they gain exposure to war
veterans and community organizations.
"They get a sense of pride and a sense of patriotism," Worley
said.
Organizers plan to promote next year's Veterans Day picnic more
heavily, expanding the event each year. But for now, Carvel Gay,
state military reserve staff sergeant and co-chair of the Citizenship
and Patriotism Committee, considers this year's picnic a success, and
very relevant, given the war in Iraq.
"Because of everything in Iraq, we really wanted to do something
for our veterans," Gay said. "We put together something small and
will increase it over the years."
Biggs said veterans and the public benefit when the entire
community becomes involved, but the committee needed to take the
first step.
"We needed to get something going. Next year we'll build on it,"
Biggs said.
