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Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008

Veterans Day: Former warriors let freedom ring

"World War I. World War II. Korea. Vietnam ..."

Jodie Mello, 10, skipped past the gun-gray monuments in Courthouse Park. Carrying a small American flag, she recited the name of each war on each stone she passed.

There was still one more to go. The John C. Fremont Charter School student came to it.

Iraq/Afghanistan.

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, what was called Armistice Day until 1954 was tolled into silence with the chimes from Our Lady of Mercy Church. Around 350 people, the largest turnout in years, sat in lawn chairs and stood beneath the palm and pine trees to pay their respects to those who had served their country.

Veterans Day rolled by again. Although veterans from those other wars pass on each year from the ranks, more women and men sign up and go through still more wars. The roster, it seems, will never be less than full.

The Vietnam Veterans of America, the Merced American Legion and the local VFW post honored the latest of the county's fallen soldiers. The names of Army Staff Sgt. Frank J. Gasper and Marine Lance Cpl. Travis J. Layfield will be inscribed on the Veterans for Freedom Memorial.

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In addition, a special memorial was dedicated to the memory of Joe Maes, a veteran himself who helped build and carve nearly all the war memorials in the park. His widow Anna accepted the awards from event co-chairs Ed Mentz Sr. and Bob Abasta.

At noon in downtown's Bob Hart Square, eight veterans were honored as parade grand marshals -- all of them 80 or older. Riding in the eight cars and one golf cart along Main Street were Lloyd Sparks, 91, World War II, Army; Vernal Addington, 80, Vietnam, Air Force; Daniel Silveira, World War II, Navy; Louis Popke, World War II, Air Force; Frank Taylor, 80, Korea and Vietnam, Air Force; Harry Kauffman, Air Force; Earl McIver, Korea, Air Force; Jack Tucker, World War II, Air Force.

Before the Courthouse Park ceremony began, Ann Maes said her husband, who died two years ago, had built the monuments "with his heart." In 2005 they were able to visit all the war monuments in Washington, D.C. "It was a dream come true for him," she recalled.

His marble plaque in the park reads: "I am happy to be here with my brothers, all the soldiers."

His godson, Capt. Joe La Jeunesse, turned up in uniform. He's done four tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, serving first on active duty in the Army as an enlisted man, then becoming an officer as a reservist.

As speakers spoke and singers sang and everyone pledged allegiance, seven flags fluttered in the light breeze. Layfield, who attended Merced High, was killed in April 2004 in Iraq. Gasper, born and raised in Merced, was born on Veterans Day in 1982 and was killed in Iraq on Memorial Day this year.

"I pray to God we don't have to turn this into a cemetery," Abata said near the end of the proceedings. "God, we've got to stop all this killing. I am not a warmonger, and I do hate war -- but who will go if we don't?"

A 21-gun salute then echoed through the park.

Later downtown, Mayor Ellie Wooten praised the 23 million veterans in the U.S., including 1.8 million women. An estimated 14,000 vets live in Merced County. Down the block, the Grateful Dead's "Truckin'" wafted from Starbucks. Along the sidewalks came the scent of Jim's Hot Diggety Dogs, popcorn and tobacco smoke. White clouds flanneled the blue sky.

Brian, a blond-bearded homeless man, was pushing a baby stroller holding a plastic garbage bin through the square. He was something of a vet himself, he said, having gone through Army basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., in the early '70s. But his hearing was damaged by his MOS, his military occupational specialty, the artillery, and he was released from duty. "Yes, I do," he nodded when asked if he wished he'd stayed in the service.

Frank Pelatowski, a Navy veteran who's 101, stood trim and straight in his blue uniform as people clapped and whistled. Watching him, a man wore a T-shirt that read: "For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."

Valley Community School's papier-maché and wooden version of the Iwo Jima memorial, which usually sits on the ground floor of the county building, rolled down the Main Street.

Back at Courthouse Park, while hundreds of Mercedians clapped and waved CD-sized American flags along the parade route, Al Vieyra and his wife, Colleen, sat alone in front of the stone tablets. He was in the Marines 1963-67 and served in Vietnam near Da Nang, at a place called Freedom Hill. "It was all frogs and wild animals," he said. "We were right there." His hearing was damaged while in the service, and he gets a VA pension.

The former artillery buck sergeant from Planada sat on the stone bench for a few more moments with his wife. Then they walked down one of the sidewalks out of the park.

He comes there every Veterans Day.

Editor Mike Tharp can be reached at (209) 385-2427 or mtharp@mercedsun-star.com.