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Mercer-Prieto VFW Post 2054 Commander Jerry Olivas (at the podium) welcomed the hundreds and hundreds of guests that attended the Veterans Day Observance, a community tradition.
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Veterans Day Observance brings record crowd to honor those who served
November 13, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Hundreds of residents, dozens and dozens of veterans, the full Santa Paula High School Marching Band and a cadre of motorcyclists jammed Veterans Memorial Park Wednesday for the VFW Mercer-Prieto Post 2054 and Korean War Veterans of Ventura County 56 annual Veterans Day Observance.
VFW Commander Jerry Olivas welcomed the crowd noting this year’s observance was offering special recognition to Combat Medics and Corpsmen.
He also noted that police and fire also deserve recognition and he thanked them “for their service to our community and our nation…”
Olivas also acknowledged the loved ones of those that served and noted that ranks of VFW members is thinning.
“We’re getting less in numbers but still participate,” with the help of the KWVAVC, as “we do things together…”
That also applied to the program that featured Donna Nelson leading the St. Sebastian American Heritage Girls in song and rousing patriotic music from the SPHS Band led by William Melendez assisted by Jerry Cruz.
“God bless America and God bless Santa Paula!” shouted Father Charles Lueras, also a veteran who led the prayer.
“We want to thank all who opened their arms and embraced our home,” said Michelle Roulston of the California Veterans Home of Ventura, as she acknowledged the efforts to make sure the residents were comfortable in their front row seats at the ceremony.
“Veterans sacrificed so much to keep us safe and their families sacrificed,” while their loved ones served.
Roulston asked that all help veterans: “Hire a vet, help send care packages, buy a vet lunch or coffee…or simply say thank you,” appreciated by veterans more than medals.
Douglas Kadansky offered “A Father’s Remembrance” about his “math geek” Dad who “Joined the Air Force with a briefcase” and became a WWII navigator.
Roulston finished Kadansky’s remarks when he was overcome by emotion speaking about playing with his father’s medals and clusters as a child except for one awarded for having the fewest number of bombers lost in battle due to his navigation skills.
His late father, like all veterans, was modest about his accomplishments and probably would say, “We did what our country asked us to do…”
“Veterans rarely talk about their service,” said Olivas, “it’s the emotion that flows out…”
John Bailey’s daughter Brenda Cummings read his story of service as he stood by: as a 17-year-old in 1943 he became a Corpsman and “As horrible as war is I was proud to be a part of the 1st Marine Division…”
In the Pacific Theater and New Guinea Bailey saw service in some of the bloodiest battles under the most adverse conditions that saw soldiers where losses were high and helmets were used for everything from digging trenches to cooking food.
“As a Corpsman I was assigned to grave documentation,” for more than 4,000 fighters of many forces.
And, he noted, “They all bled the same color of red…”
Bailey was able to identify all but three Marines during his years of grave documentation, a remarkable feat for the region where millions of fighters and civilians died.
“I was blessed to return to Santa Paula and marry Naomi,” his wife of 69 years but noted Bailey’s statement, “The true heroes of war remain,” where they fell in foreign lands.
Olivas noted that Bailey wrote a book about his experiences before he introduced Delton Lee Johnson, who wore his sailor uniform as he spoke of his Navy Corpsman experiences in the Korean War.
Johnson spoke of his enlistment and training where he specialized in physical therapy.
The timing was sadly right: “Most of my patients were those who suffered from polio…we had more polio than war injuries.”
He served on a hospital destroyer, which carried one Corpsman and an assistant where many of the injuries were related to burns.
Johnson said his first night he treated a patient “who wanted to go home to his mother…he died…”
Patients that lived returned to their families often missing limbs or with other lifelong injuries.
Johnson’s ship the USS Haven, also did duty evacuating French forces, “all foreigners as well as Vietnamese,” when ordered by President Eisenhower on the hectic rescue mission.
Naming other Medics and Corpsmen active in the VFW Olivas noted they, “Often had crosshairs on their backs,” as in battle killing such personnel could lead to the death of others denied treatment.
Carlos Lopez read, “What is a Vet?” before Olivas introduced Past VFW Post Commanders including Freddy Osuna, Bill Florio and Albino Pineda, all veterans of World War II.
VFW Quartermaster/Adjutant Rey Frutos urged those at the event to examine the plaques on the Veterans Monument naming each Santa Paula who died in war from WWI to Vietnam, as “They wrote a blank check to the United States of America for the amount of up to and including their lives.”
The observance ended with the Placing of Memorial Wreaths, the Salute to Departed Comrades by the VFW-KWVAVC Rifle Squad led by David Garcia and the playing of Taps by bugler Rudy Arellano.
Following the observance all veterans were invited to be the guests of the Motorcycle Riders of Ventura County for a free barbecue hosted by Mountain View Golf Course.
“It’s very special,” said Mayor John Procter who attended the event along with City Councilwomen Jenny Crosswhite and Ginger Gherardi as well as Vice Mayor Martin Hernandez, an Air Force veteran and Police Chief Steve McLean.
Gherardi, who said she has an ink rendering of her late father drawn while he was serving in Italy during World War II was “delighted” at the turnout while Hernandez said Veterans Day “brings together our country and our community...and it’s an honor,” to serve both.
“It was fantastic today,” said Olivas. “Santa Paula is a wonderful community that really supports veterans…and we’re so grateful!”
