Parades, flyovers and music events mark Veterans Day in Los Angeles County
For Yolanda Escalante and her family, attending Baldwin Park’s annual Veterans Day ceremony is a ritual.
Even though her father, Antonio Fernandez, 86, an Army veteran who served during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, suffers from dementia, Escalante said the annual memorial brings joy to her family.
“We’re proud of my dad,” said Escalante, a Hacienda Heights resident who said her family has attended the Baldwin Park ceremony for a decade. “He served this country, and my brother is currently serving in the Navy.”
Organizers estimate that about 700 people attended Friday’s 25th annual event, which featured salutes, awards and a popular sky-diving team. It was one of dozens of parades, flyovers and music events marking the occasion throughout Los Angeles County.
Many who gathered in Baldwin Park shared Escalante’s sentiments, saying the holiday provides an outlet to give thanks and express their patriotism.
Baldwin Park Mayor Manuel Lozano, said that honoring veterans is an important tradition in his city because it offers an opportunity for people to unite regardless of political affiliation.
Among the honorees was 100-year-old Lillian Mower. One of three veterans honored at this year’s ceremony, she was awarded for her service in the Coast Guard. Mower smiled as onlookers applauded and took pictures with her.
She was born Sept. 6, 1916, and served in the Coast Guard from 1943 to 1945 — a time when few women were in the military. Her son, Patrick Mower, 70, who served in the Air Force for 21 years, says his mother did not meet the weight requirement to join the Coast Guard at first, so she ate bananas and drank water to make it. She served as a bus driver and later as a radio dispatcher, her son said.
Fernandez was born in Pomona and picked oranges for a living, his family said, until he was drafted and served in the Army. Sitting on blankets and standing on a patch of grass, Escalante and 14 of her family members waited for the Golden Stars Skydiving Team’s aerial show.
Jay Fragoso, 77, an Army veteran and one of the aerial performers, said he’s been jumping for 22 years.
For Fragoso, Veterans Day is more than just a national holiday.
“Without veterans, America wouldn’t be what it is today,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to honor all the people who made what we have possible.”
Twitter: @melissaetehad
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