Event Brings Scouts, Veterans Together

Hundreds of Boy Scouts concluded a three-day camp-out Sunday at a North Hills Veterans Administration facility with a day of fun, games and interaction with war veterans.

The boys, ranging in age from 5 to 18, climbed walls, completed obstacle courses, learned to shoot arrows and competed in wheelchair races with some of the veterans as part of an effort to bring younger and older generations together, organizers said.

“But of course, the veterans beat the heck out of every Scout,” joked Bryan I. Eget, vice chair of the Balboa Oaks District Scouts.

Explorers, Boy and Cub Scouts participated in the Camp-O-Ree 2000, which began Friday at the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center and Nursing Home. It was sponsored by the scout district and the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Some Scouts said they enjoyed learning new survival skills, such as cooking their own food and reading maps and compasses. But the best part, some said, was interacting with the veterans.

“It was kind of nice,” said 18-year-old Mike Caracappa, an Eagle Scout. “Some of us got to talk to them about fighting in war. They told really neat stories.”