The City of Malibu and the Chamber of Commerce host the 9th annual Veteran’s Day Public Ceremony.
By Nora Fleming / Special to The Malibu Times
Local residents, decked out in patriotic colors and military uniforms, packed the Malibu City Council chambers on Tuesday for the 9th Annual Veteran’s Day Public Ceremony, where veterans and city officials spoke in honor of veterans and those currently serving.
All age groups were represented in a standing room only audience, including a large number of children. Members of local Boy Scout Troop 224 and Junior Girl Scout Troop 5125 posted the colors and passed out small flags to audience members and pins to veterans, and a group of students from Our Lady of Malibu led the audience in a rendition of “God Bless America.”
The Malibu Chamber of Commerce and the City of Malibu, along with local businesses and the Rotary Club of Malibu, cosponsored the ceremony.
“There is no greater joy than seeing the youth celebrating our veterans,” said Master of Ceremonies Capt. Brad Connors, commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Base in Ventura. “We’re here today to celebrate, honor and pay reverence to our veterans who made it so we can enjoy our way of life, rule of law and personal freedoms.”
Susan Ahn Cuddy, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and the first female gunnery officer during World War II, spoke about her experiences during the war and about coming to terms with recognizing her Korean heritage while identifying herself as an American. Cuddy, who is 94 and lives in Malibu, moved from the Navy to the National Security Agency when her Korean heritage was identified, but said she felt nothing but pride in her experiences.
“Throughout my career with the government, I felt very patriotic and very American,” Cuddy said. “Here I stand with an Asian face, and an American mind and American spirit. This tells you what a wonderful country the United States of America is.”
Ron Merriman, a Korean War veteran who served in the field artillery and National Guard, said Cuddy impressed him, as many Americans take for granted what their country “is all about” and sometimes it takes an outside perspective to appreciate what America has to offer.
Both old and new stories were shared throughout the ceremony. Chuck Green, a 92-year-old Malibu resident, recounted his experiences on World War II submarine duty, while Lt. Col. Andrew Rosso of the California Army National Guard told stories of weekly attacks in Iraq, where he headed military conveys in 2008. Rosso, who also serves at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, recognized one of his soldiers who died in combat, as well as 20 soldiers under his command who became U.S. citizens during the course of their service. He also commented on dark realities of war.
“You have to be realistic about war,” Green said. “War is not romantic. War is not nice. We need to learn you have to be better prepared for the kind of war you’re going to fight and be prepared to take care of the troops when they come home.”
Local officials were also recognized themselves for their service.
City Councilmember Jefferson Wagner, RSO, E-7,OIC, opposing force coordinator, was acknowledged for his work preparing military for potential situations overseas by creating what he called “bad guy” simulations.
Councilmember John Sibert, a Marine Corps veteran from the Korean War, said, “I think it’s important in times like these to honor those who have given all or part of their lives in service. We need to recognize them more than just one day a year.”
The crowd enthusiastically applauded, cheered and sang, both in support of the veterans and the young people who participated in the event.
Ryan Sawtelle and Christopher Garcia, president and vice president of Pepperdine University’s chapter of the College Republicans, lined Stuart Ranch Road with flags for the ceremony.
“Like the mayor said, we are forgetting that ‘freedom is not free,'” Sawtelle said. “Young people need to respect veterans more. Sometimes they care more about the winners and losers on ‘American Idol’ than our troops. It’s because of our troops that they only have to worry about the winners and losers of ‘American Idol.'”
The ceremony Tuesday closed with a sing along of “America the Beautiful,” lead by Jessica Adams, who dedicated the song to her grandfather, a World War II veteran who died just the week before.