Veterans Day

Josh Kleinbaum After Veterans Day came and went with little fanfare in Glendale last year, Don Biggs read a letter in the local paper asking why the city did not commemorate the holiday. So he decided to do something about it. Biggs, the city's assistant fire chief and a Vietnam War veteran, organized a Veterans Day picnic, which will be at Fremont Park, 600 W. Hahn Ave., from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday. "What I'm really aiming at is to share some stories with the veterans who show up, about their experiences in the service," said Biggs, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Citizenship and Patriotism Committee.

Veterans Day was recognized throughout Crescenta Valley when several schools, including Rosemont Middle School, had assemblies to honor those that served in the military throughout American history. On Nov. 9, Rosemont students were given a brief history of each branch of the military as well as the history of Veterans Day during an assembly. Special guest Doug Weld, who served from 1967 to 1971 as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, joined the assembly panel. Elsewhere, on Saturday morning representatives from the community and local businesses joined together at the American Legion Post 288 to recognize those whose names now fly on Hometown Hero banners along Foothill Boulevard, and recognize those who made the banners possible.

Ben Godar Anyone looking to take part in a celebration of Veterans Day on Monday will find slim pickings in Glendale, but a major event will be taking place in Hollywood Hills. The Glendale Post of the American Legion will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a free luncheon at 1 p.m. Displays will be set up commemorating several military conflicts. Post Commander Ron Freemyer said those who have served and those who haven't are both welcome to come.

As we wake up this morning, on Veterans Day, our first thoughts should be obvious ones. American soldiers are fighting in the streets of a city far from their homes, in conditions and under stress the large majority of us will never know. They are fighting, in a profound sense, to ensure that we will never know such scenes. Our first thoughts and our deepest prayers should be with them and with their families. There are, of course, many who do know and who do understand what our soldiers are living through today.

by Geghard Arakelian Veterans visited Crescenta Valley High School in honor of Veterans' Day and to accompany the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets who put on two ceremonies to commemorate the holiday in the school's auditorium Wednesday morning. The lights dimmed as the AFJROTC cadets went through the drill of their rifle routines on stage under the supervision of their advisor, Air Force Lt. Col. David Worley. Following the pledge of allegiance, the national anthem by the CVHS Charismatic Group and a speech by Cadet Maj. Daniel Cheung, Worley gave a speech.

Gretchen Hoffman La Canada Unified School District Sept. 4: First day of school for students. Oct. 31: Buy back day. Nov. 12: Veterans Day. Nov. 13: Second quarter begins. Nov. 19-23: Thanksgiving break. Dec. 24-Jan. 4: Winter break. Jan. 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Feb. 1: Teacher work day. Feb. 4: Third quarter begins. Feb. 18-19: Washington Day. April 8-12: Spring break. April 16: Fourth quarter begins.

On this Veterans Day, tens of thousands of young Americans are serving under difficult circumstances in dangerous places, having answered their country's call to military duty. I have witnessed this bravery firsthand having returned in August from my second trip to both Iraq and Afghanistan. These troops carry on a tradition of selfless commitment and courage that generations of soldiers before them enshrined on battlefields throughout the world. Many are fortunate to return home to loving families, careers and the gratitude of a nation.

Ben Godar GLENDALE -- Some Glendale veterans were just looking for companionship on Veterans Day, and many found it at the American Legion Post. Around half of the local American Legion members, about 100 people, stopped by the post during its Monday open house, Post Cmdr. Ron Freemyer said. They found a free lunch, displays commemorating several wars and a group of fellow veterans. In one corner of the main meeting room, a television played a variety of war-related programs, including the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers."

Nationwide, and throughout California, military veterans of several armed conflicts, along with current military personnel, were honored Tuesday during Veterans Day ceremonies. But not in Glendale. Once again, the third-largest city in Los Angeles County -- and the 17th-largest in the state and the 98th-largest in the United States -- had no official function recognizing veterans for service and sacrifice to their nation and community. Neighboring places had them.

Claudia Peschiutta GLENDALE -- While most local children have never lived through a war, many of them are learning to appreciate the efforts of the men and women who have. Several area schools commemorated Veterans Day on Wednesday -- a day before the holiday -- with assemblies and visits from those who have served in the armed forces. Waiting for the Cerritos Elementary School assembly to begin, second-grader Tasha Jackson said it is important to celebrate Veterans Day. "You need to thank the people who fought in the war because if no people fought, we wouldn't have the United States," she said.

All Glendale libraries, including the city's flagship Central Library, were closed Saturday through Monday to observe Veterans Day. These “long weekend” library closures are becoming more and more routine in the Jewel City. Meanwhile, in both Los Angeles and Pasadena, the libraries were open on Saturday. So Glendale has even worse budget problems than the city of Los Angeles? C'mon. Oh, that's right: Los Angeles library lovers recently passed Measure L, a ballot measure that prioritized funding for their city's libraries; full Friday hours were just restored and more are purportedly on the way as a result.

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.

Danny Baca has applied to dozens of jobs and always hears the same line: “We'll get back to you.” But they don't. The Glendale resident is one of several local veterans who are struggling to find employment. The jobless rate in October for those who served during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is 12.1% , compared to the civilian rate of 9%. This disparity, which has lasted for several months, has stirred the political pot in the days leading up to Veterans Day. On Thursday, the Senate passed part of President Obama's jobs plan that gives a tax credit to companies that hire veterans . The bill is now pending before the House.

About 75 community members and war veterans fanned out across Bob Hope Airport, searching for loose debris that pose a safety threat to aircraft. Dressed in black T-shirts, volunteers and airport staff walked one mile shoulder-to-shoulder in horizontal lines. Airport officials invited a dozen war veterans from the three Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority member cities to lead walkers down the runway. Bob Hope’s Federal Security Director Brian Cahill, who recently returned from Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, along with Bob Gilliland, who flew the first test flight of Lockheed’s SR-71 Blackbird Dec. 22, 1964, and served in the U.S. Air Force in the Korean War, led the group.

Residents of all ages joined with military veterans Wednesday to honor current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces. More than 50 people came to Two Strike Park for a Veterans Day ceremony organized by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 614 and the American Legion Post 288. Many in attendance donned red, white and blue, or clutched small American flags. “Today is one of two days that our country sets aside to honor our veterans,” said Post Commander Warren Spayth, who led the ceremony.

TODAY Forest Lawn?s 50th annual Veterans Day program, featuring the theme, ?A Celebration of Heroes,? begins at 11 a.m. at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles. The free event will feature longtime KTLA-TV anchor and World War II veteran Stan Chambers as the master of ceremonies. For more information, call (800) 204-3131, or visit www.forestlawn.com. Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center is hosting a free GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disorder)

All was quiet on the Franklin Elementary School playground Tuesday as students led the color guard and about a dozen veterans to begin the school’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. Students met and spoke with veterans, and organizers said they hoped the event would bring home the themes of sacrifice, honor and respect that the veterans exemplify. “I think it’ll instill in them a sense of pride and understanding of what these men and women do for us,” said Diana Springfield, a third-grade teacher.

SATURDAY Community meeting — public input will be taken on a new draft ordinance designed to regulate the placement of wireless telecommunications antennas will start at 11 a.m. at Sparr Heights Community Center, 1613 Glencoe Way.   TUESDAY The Glendale Housing Authority will meet at 2:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, City Hall at 613 E. Broadway. For more information, call (818) 548-2060.   The Glendale Redevelopment Agency will meet at 2:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, City Hall, at 613 E. Broadway.