Valley marks Memorial Day, military appreciation

by Dennis Anderson
special to Aerotech News

   Along with the “super bloom” of poppies across the An-
telope Valley, the poppy is the enduring symbol of Memo-
rial Day, observed this year on May 27.

   Poppies became synonymous with the memory of our
dead from World War I, and in the century since, we have
held onto the image through all the wars that have hap-
pened since.

   At entries to shopping markets and parks, people may
encounter older veterans (usually) who are distributing the
paper poppies offered by Veterans of Foreign Wars. Until
recently, our Antelope Valley’s senior-most Marine, World
War II veteran Patricia Murray, was relentless in advanc-
ing donations for poppy sales that would support veterans
services. Murray died this year at the age of 101, so her
lifespan stretched back nearly to the origin of the poppy
as symbol.

   The image of the poppy derived from the poem written
by John McCrae, Canadian medical officer, during World
War I. He referred to the poppies that sprouted in the death-
ly “No Man’s Land” of Flanders, Belgium, scene of one of
the largest bloodletting of World War I.

   “In Flanders fields the poppies blow
   Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place, and in the sky
   The larks still bravely singing,
   Scarce heard amid the guns below.
   We are the dead.
   ... if ye break faith with us who die
   We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
   In Flanders fields.

   The poppies inspired Lt. Col. John McCrae to pen his
verse after losing a friend on the Western Front in the
spring of 1915, and more than a century later, the verse is
synonymous with loss in war.

   May is “Military Appreciation” month in the Antelope
Valley, and beyond, with many local events scheduled
to reflect support for those who served in the nation’s
armed forces.

   Setting aside some dates, and events, culminating in
the Memorial Day observations at the end of the month,
reflects that Americans appreciate the sacrifices that were
made by the millions of men and women who have served
our nation in uniform, often in hazardous circumstances.

   Memorial Day takes on its own solemnity and rever-
ence in that it is the national holiday set aside to remember
those who died in service to our nation. It is distinct from
Veterans Day, which falls in November, and is specifically
set aside to recognize all those who have served.

   • On May 17, at 5:30 p.m. a Veterans Dinner will be
hosted by Lancaster Baptist Church, organized by the
Antelope Valley Veterans Community Action Coalition.
Veteran and spouse may attend the dinner, at no cost, in
the Hangar Gym at Lancaster Baptist, 4020 E. Lancaster
Blvd. The emcee for the evening’s events will be Antelope
Valley broadcast personality Mitchell Chase, a veteran of
the Army’s famed 82nd Airborne Division.

   Veteran supporters are asked to donate $15 to host a
veteran, and more information can be obtained at 661-
317-4956, or by going online to www.antelopevvcac.org.

              See Military appreciation, page 3

May 17, 2019 • Volume 33, Issue 8  Serving the aerospace industry since 1986  Use your smartphone to connect to
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