Rossmoor Man Hails Veterans: WALNUT CREEK: Event Marks the 61st Anniversary of WWII End

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Rossmoor Man Hails Veterans: WALNUT CREEK: Event Marks the 61st Anniversary of WWII End
2006-08-12
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)


By Elisabeth Nardi, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
Aug. 12--Edward Berman does not want veterans to be forgotten.
"People are kind of forgetting about Aug. 15, 1945," said Berman, a resident. "It's very easy for people to forget, or ignore it, and it's important to recognize those who are still alive."
Berman, 77, is helping people to remember, with a salute to veterans, on Tuesday, the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II.
Rossmoor, a retirement community in Walnut Creek, is home to 500 to 750 veterans, Berman said. He estimates that 300 to 500 people are expected Tuesday.
As part of the Rossmoor Veterans History Project, Berman has spent the last few years collecting oral histories from veterans and those who served in different ways during American wars. He wanted to contribute to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, which has archived more than 40,000 stories.
Through his work, where Berman's collected more than 160 oral histories, he came up with the idea of a tribute to veterans.
"I would hope ordinary people would come to this and recognize these men and women for these things they did 65 years ago," he said.
At the event, a color guard and a 21-gun salute will be done by the Marine Corps League.
Retired Navy Cmdr. John Berger, a chaplain, will give an invocation and retired Navy Adm. Paul Peck, of Walnut Creek, will be the keynote speaker.
While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was invited, he is sending in his place Maj. Gen. Dennis Lucas, commander of the California Air National Guard.
Also in attendance will be Congresswomen Ellen Tauscher, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Walnut Creek Mayor Kathy Hicks.
While this is the first tribute to WWII veterans in Rossmoor, it may become an annual event depending on the response Tuesday, Berman said.
It's important to hear the veterans' stories because it is different than an account of war told by generals or history books, he said.
"The story of the guy who was a sergeant who didn't know what the big plan was...and focused on keeping his men alive... that's a different perspective of war," he said.
Gordon Spencer, a Rossmoor resident and a former Marine who served four years, said he was stationed in the Pacific islands near Japan during WWII. A salute like this means a lot because those who served in WWII won't be around much longer, he said.
"We are going pretty fast and I think it's something nice to have to recognize those who have given service to our country," he said. "The Greatest Generation, that's us."
The salute is not just to WWII veterans but to anyone including those who are currently serving in Iraq, he said. It's not about politics or if people agree with the Iraq War or not, instead it's about supporting soldiers, Spencer said.
Reach Elisabeth Nardi at 925-952-2617 or enardi@cctimes.com.
IF YOU GO
What: A salute to veterans held on the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II.
Where: Stop at the gate on Rossmoor Parkway and say you are there for the salute to veterans. Event is at the Fireside Room in the Gateway Clubhouse.
When: Tuesday, 2-5 p.m.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.
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