Cars, music and special guests made the second annual Armed Forces Day celebration an event to remember.

By Dylan SYLVESTER

The super heroes of Crescenta Valley hung up their capes on Saturday and headed to Crescenta Valley Park for the second annual Armed Forces Day celebration. These everyday heroes from the L.A. County Fire Dept., Glendale Police Dept., Pasadena Marines and California National Guard came together to support the efforts of American Legion Post 288 of La Crescenta in providing resources to veterans. The American Legion also lends a hand to local children’s organizations, such as the Crescenta Valley High School JROTC.
“It’s a celebration of all five branches of the military,” said Gerry Collins, commander of Post 288 and an organizer for the day’s activities.
The official armed forces melody was sung during the opening ceremony honoring the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and the Marines. Collins also mentioned the Hometown Hero Garden, consisting of a collection of local names that honor those currently serving overseas.
Some veterans participating in the event brought collections of antique weapons and military memorabilia to display. Ray Shultz, a veteran of the Korean War serving from 1951 to 1959, brought an impressive collection that included Russian sniper rifles and an officer’s parade sword from WWII. He also showed original military canteens and a Coleman grill, which were different from everyday camping gear because both were inscribed with their military issuing date of 1918. Shultz’s display didn’t end there; all of these items were sitting on the hood of his original 1944 military Jeep, where he sat in the passenger seat.
For a more modern take, Chief Robert Castro of the Glendale Police Dept. brought some impressive police cars to the celebration, including an undercover cruiser, a classic patrol car and a very intimidating armored truck. The Early Rodders car club, the Burbank Road Kings and Outlaw Garage also brought a large number of cars to display. Among the classic car owners on-site was one guest whom made an especially long drive to join the party. Jim Covey, a supporter of the American Legion as well as a car enthusiast, brought his classic car all the way from Reno-Sparks, Nevada to enjoy the festivities of the day.
Cars weren’t the only draw of the day. Live music provided by great bands and information booths were also on hand. There was one guest, though, who the American Legion was particularly honored to have at its Armed Forces Day celebration. Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winning actor Gary Sinise, who played Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump” among many other roles, came to show his support for Armed Forces Day. Sinise is an avid supporter of veteran organizations and has been awarded the positions of Honorary U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and Honorary Marine among others due to his philanthropy and generosity.
The community is then invited to a Memorial Day service hosted by the American Legion Post 288 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1614 at Two Strike Park on Monday beginning at 8 a.m. The service will include keynote speaker Pastor Bill Flanders, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam era.
All are invited to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.
Two Strike Park is located at 5107 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta. music provided by great bands and information booths were also on hand. There was one guest, though, who the American Legion was particularly honored to have at its Armed Forces Day celebration. Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winning actor Gary Sinise, who played Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump” among many other roles, came to show his support for Armed Forces Day. Sinise is an avid supporter of veteran organizations and has been awarded the positions of Honorary U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and Honorary Marine among others due to his philanthropy and generosity.
The community is then invited to a Memorial Day service hosted by the American Legion Post 288 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1614 at Two Strike Park on Monday beginning at 8 a.m. The service will include keynote speaker Pastor Bill Flanders, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam era.
All are invited to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.
Two Strike Park is located at 5107 Rosemont Ave. in La Crescenta.