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Aerotech News
             Aerotech News
              Aerotech News





             Journal of Aerospace, Defense Industry and Veteran News
                                                                                                       and Review
                                                                                                       and Review
          Veterans Day marked at Field of Healing and Honor





















































                                                                                                                                              Photograph by Evelyn Kristo
          Antelope Valley residents gather together  Nov. 11, 2020, to honor veterans on Veterans Day at the Healing and Honor Field, set up at Pelona Vista Park in Palmdale, Calif.

          by Dennis Anderson                   and chorused the words of the Coast Guard song,   and many got on their feet to cheer him on.  coffee klatsch, Marine veteran Tony Tortolano
          special to Aerotech News             “Semper Paratus,” meaning “Always Ready.” He   Others sang their tunes, trying to keep up with   stood tallest, and sang loudest, “The Marine
                                               sang along with his Vietnam War-era vet buddy,   a thundering public address system, with Army   Corps Hymn” — and Marine veterans got to their
           PALMDALE, Calif.—A series of emotional   Dave Corbin, of the American Legion and Patriot   “War on Terror” vet John Parsamyan singing   feet en masse.
          moments cascaded across a field of 2,020 Amer-  Guard Riders.              “The Army Song,” with its caissons rolling along;   The City of Palmdale, which spearheaded the
          ican flags, with veterans in a variety of keys   Sapp spent more than three months hospital-  Vietnam War sailor Terry Ritz singing “Anchors   display of thousands of flags at Pelona Vista Park,
          gathered for Veterans Day singing the songs of   ized with COVID-19 — a Vietnam War veteran   Aweigh,” and Iraq War veteran of the Air Force,   took pains to deliver a safe event on a large field
          their respective branches of service, including a   with a number of underlying conditions, includ-  Mayra “Dee” Duarte, singing the Air Force song,   where the hundreds of veterans and their friends
          Vietnam War veteran of the Coast Guard who   ing age, he fought for his life on a ventilator, only   “Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder,” as a pair   and families would not crowd together and create
          survived months of recovery from COVID-19.  returning after weeks in the Greater Los Angeles   of F-16s from Edwards Air Force Base thundered   a danger of spreading COVID-19. Mask-wearing
           Cheers erupted on the stage when retired Lt.   VA Health Center in West Los Angeles.  overhead.                on the field was carefully observed, and seats
          Cmdr. Walter Sapp approached the microphone   He was an inspiration to all who knew him,   As is often the case at his weekly Coffee4Vets   See FLAGS, Page 3







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          November 20, 2020 • Volume 34, Issue 22              Serving the aerospace industry since 1986      Use your smartphone to connect to
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