Veterans

The students of Montrose Christian Montessori School recited a poem and sang a song in honor of veterans who visited their school in November. The visiting veterans included Mike Baldwin, who served in Vietnam; Manuel Ramos, who served on the U.S.S. Nimitz; Roy Allmon, who served in Congo; and Warren Spayth, who served in Vietnam. Spayth encouraged the children to serve their country in some way. “Joining the military is not for everyone,” he said. “However, there are multiple ways to volunteer and serve our country.”

There is a tendency on Memorial Day, even now with U.S. troops stationed across a restive Middle East, to focus on the past. With two World Wars, Vietnam, the Korean War and other military conflicts under our collective belt, there is certainly much to memorialize. But as cities across the nation are starting to realize, an influx of new, younger military veterans returning home from current tours of duty is forcing some adjustments. From Burbank to the Foothills, our local communities have long traditions of honoring those who have served their country in the military.

A job fair for military veterans planned for Friday at the Glendale National Guard Armory has been canceled due to what officials said was a lack of uniformed personnel to handle the event. The fair, organized by the California Economic Development Department, was aimed at connecting veterans with potential employers — including Macy’s, public safety agencies and staffing firm Manpower — and other job services, such as resume help and interviewing techniques. But in a notice sent out by organizers this week, “circumstances beyond our control” had forced them to cancel the event.

GLENDALE — Life hasn't been the same for 24-year-old Christopher Chappelle since he was deployed twice to Iraq and Afghanistan while in the Navy. During his four years in the Navy, Chappelle was never stationed on the ground. He lived on the USS Enterprise at sea from January 2005 to September 2008. "When I first got out, I was really depressed," he said. "There was a lot on my mind. I wasn't sleeping, had a lot of anxiety and wasn't sure what I was going to do. " Since off active duty, the paychecks stopped.

CITY HALL — Local military veterans will soon have access to a pilot program that would combine rental assistance with job training and other help as part of a slew of proposals approved by the City Council this week. The City Council and the Housing Authority, absent of Mayor Ara Najarian, voted to create the pilot program while city officials vet a controversial proposal to reopen the long waiting list for Section 8 rental assistance, a federally sponsored program that uses vouchers to subsidize rent payments, to give military veterans higher priority.

Veterans with special license plates will soon get to park for free at metered spaces in Glendale. The City Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday that would allow veterans with license plates showing they had received a Congressional Medal of Honor, Purple Heart or a number of other military honors known as the Legion of Valor to park for free. Veterans with licenses showing they are former American prisoners of war or Pearl Harbor survivors will also get the perk. The ordinance must still be officially approved at a meeting next week, but with all the council members on board, it's likely to pass.

Regional workforce officials say they plan to use a $465,000 federal grant to train local military veterans for a rebounding manufacturing industry. The Verdugo Workforce Investment Board plans to use about half the funds to train veterans to manufacture tools and equipment using computer numerical control, or CNC, technology. The technology, which allows for precise machining of engine parts and specialized tools, is used widely among regional manufacturers serving aviation and other industries.

Claudia Peschiutta LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Veterans from the area and beyond will gather today to support Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) in his run for reelection against state Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale). Veterans and fellow House Republicans, Randy Cunningham of San Diego and Sam Johnson from Texas, will appear at the Rogan rally, according to a news release. As a member of the U.S. Navy, Cunningham earned several medals during the Vietnam War. Johnson spent nearly seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam and was also highly decorated, the release said.

To me Memorial Day meant taking flags and flowers out to the cemetery to decorate the graves of veterans. This day was important to my dad, a veteran of the Korean Conflict. He was a commander of the local American Legion and of the Veterans of Foreign Wars posts. My uncle was the state commander of the American Legion, so placing flags and going to local ceremonies was a must in my family. Dad supported veterans all his life. If a vet came home and needed a job, Dad was there to help him. I was always amazed at the quiet relationship between Dad and other vets.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE -- Although mailers and television ads continue to draw differences between the area's two congressional candidates, their efforts to bring attention to veterans memorials are drawing them a bit closer together. While state Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Glendale) is working on creating an Internet-accesible registry of memorials for California, U.S. Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) is trying to do the same on a national level. Schiff, who introduced his bill in February, suggested Monday that Rogan was following his example, given that the congressman presented his legislation last week.

When Paul Ignatius first stepped aboard a Navy ship, he was anxious. Japan had already attacked Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific was going strong. Ignatius - a Glendale native who attended Mark Keppel Elementary School, Toll Middle School and Hoover High School - was responsible for weapons aboard an aircraft carrier that would see heavy action, the USS Manila Bay. He would go on to have a distinguished career that would eventually see him serve as Secretary of the Navy.

Elvia Huizar felt alone during the four years she spent in the U.S. Air Force, part of which she spent in Iraq. She didn't find the sisterhood she had expected. The men formed close bonds with each other. However, she and other women put up walls, creating an environment of competition among themselves. PHOTOS: YWCA and Sunergos honor female veterans But on Friday, those walls began to fall at the end of a three-day program designed to help female veterans succeed in civilian life.

Veterans with special license plates will soon get to park for free at metered spaces in Glendale. The City Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday that would allow veterans with license plates showing they had received a Congressional Medal of Honor, Purple Heart or a number of other military honors known as the Legion of Valor to park for free. Veterans with licenses showing they are former American prisoners of war or Pearl Harbor survivors will also get the perk. The ordinance must still be officially approved at a meeting next week, but with all the council members on board, it's likely to pass.

Glendale's planned affordable housing development that will focus on veterans is getting a funding boost from the county. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday in gave the project $850,000 in county funds as part of a motion to issue $11 million to eight affordable housing developments across the county. They gave the recommendation a first reading, and the motion will be voted on at next Tuesday's meeting. Veterans Village, located at 327-331 W. Salem St., will include 44 units that give priority to veterans who qualify for low-income housing.

A new condominium development three blocks from the Americana at Brand that languished for years is now selling units at a discount for "Hometown Heroes," including veterans, teachers, first responders, doctors and nurses. Eligible home buyers get 1% off the net sales price of the 26 urban-style condos in the Residences at Jackson Glen. With two-bedroom units running at $429,000, that would be a savings of $4,290. “That's quite a bit of cash,” said Mary Jean Duran, spokeswoman for the development, adding that the condominiums in the three-story building start at $399,900.

After losing his job and getting evicted, Lanny Allen spent one of his first nights on Glendale streets covered in bubble wrap to keep warm. That evening, a homeless man recognized him as the insurance investigator who had bought him lunch when he was hungry. He gave Allen a coat and showed him how to live outdoors. Allen spent the next 10 years on the streets. He slept in Chess Park back when it was an empty alleyway across from the Alex Theatre until he was beaten by a group of teens.

Veterans Day is upon us, that time of year in which we all pause to remember the sacrifices of our armed forces. But this reflection should take place every day, not just Nov. 11. Amid the parades, speeches and ceremonies is a poorly kept - and poorly dealt with - secret: the plight of so many men and women who remain wounded long after the battle is over. The troubles form a long list: homelessness, joblessness, mental illness and inadequate healthcare for physical and psychological injuries.

Students and faculty at Wilson Middle School paid tribute to four U.S. military veterans Wednesday as a part of the school's annual Veterans Day assembly. With Veterans Day still a few days away, guests of the assembly included World War II veterans Thomas Simms, Joseph Onesty and Richard Ostronik, as well as World War II and Korean War veteran and test pilot Bob Gilliland. “There is no other greater responsibility of a citizen than to wear the uniform of the military of the United States of America,” said school Principal Richard Lucas, “and we are honoring those people today.” Gilliland detailed his experiences in the wars and also spoke to students about being the first person to ever fly the SR-71 Blackbird, a reconnaissance aircraft that was produced in Burbank in the 1960s.

Carmine Sardo leads a double life much akin to that of a comic book superhero. By day, he's a mild-mannered merchant, tending to his La Crescenta auto and boat upholstery business. After dark, Sardo is transmogrified into a musical crusader, a player of audacious proficiency whose blend of California country music sensibility and hot, groove-oozing blues combine into a style that's as singular as it is arresting. The 68-year-old guitarist, who has been a resident of the Tujunga-Sunland-La Crescenta delta for over five decades, serves as anchor for the equally capable local combo the Shuffle Brothers and whenever the quartet sets up, whether it's Sundays at Glendale's Big Fish or Wednesdays at North Hollywoods' Michael's Pub, it's guaranteed they'll supply a drastically satisfying earful.

TUJUNGA - Through two innings, there was virtually no difference in play between the Foothill and Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans 11-12-year-old Major baseball teams in the opening round of the District 16 All-Star Tournament. That was until visiting Jewel City scored three runs in the third inning and continued an offensive assault Foothill was unable to sustain in an 8-2 victory Thursday afternoon at Tujunga Little League Fields. With the triumph, Jewel City earned advancement into today's second round of the winner's bracket and will face Burbank at 5 p.m. Foothill dropped into the consolation bracket and will battle either Tujunga or Vaquero in Saturday's elimination round at 9 a.m. "I don't know what was more impressive, our hitting or pitching," Jewel City Coach Phillip Palmer said.