WWII pilot to be parade honoree

Robert Mosier, a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, will be the Honored Patriot of the Year for Laguna Beach’s 48th annual Patriots Day Parade in March.

The Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade Assn. chose Mosier, 89, after he was nominated by Laguna Beach American Legion Post 222 for the honor, said committee spokeswoman Sandi Werthe.

Mosier flew the first troops into Tokyo after the Japanese surrender. After his discharge from the military, he attended UCLA, graduating in 1950 with an electrical engineering degree.

Mosier worked for 25 years for Collins Radio Co. in Newport Beach, where he helped develop the first digital equipment that led to development of the Internet, he said. Mosier has lived in Laguna Beach for more than 40 years with his wife, Beverly.

Along with fellow parade honorees, he will be featured at the Honorees Fundraiser Brunch from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Feb. 2 at Tivoli Terrace, according to a news release.

Proceeds from the brunch, along with program ads and donations, help fund the parade, whose theme is “Home of the Free Because of the Brave,” the release said.

The parade, which starts at 11 a.m. March 1, will include floats and marching bands, according to the parade website, https://www.lagunabeachparade.org.

For more information or to make brunch reservations, contact Werthe at shworthy@cox.net or (949) 494-6016.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce