by Garth Meyer
“No smoking, no chewing, no vaping, no e-bikes,” admonished Master of Ceremonies Tom Lasser at the start of the annual Redondo Beach Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday, featuring the retirement of the flag from Memorial Day and the words of a last-minute chaplain, due to the government shutdown.
“If you see a coyote, don’t feed it,” Lasser added before the program began.
The replaced flag was presented to Jim Ignatuk, a four-year U.S. Air Force veteran and deacon at St. Lawrence Martyrs Church.
The ceremony featured the Redondo Union High School wind ensemble, playing the themes of each military branch as veterans stood up in the crowd.
Keynote Speaker Colonel Andrew J. Baker, U.S. Army Commander, L.A. District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told of being asked why he wanted to be in the Army as a young West Point plebe. He had no good answer, but after 30 years he concluded that it was among the “most righteous of human endeavors.”
The last minute-chaplain was Fr. Matt Murphy of St. James Catholic Church, just up the street from Veterans Park. The intended Space Force chaplain was precluded from appearing, by order, due to the government shutdown. Colonel Baker, the speaker, was cleared to come and speak, but not in uniform.
Also in attendance was Ray Shortridge, an Army veteran born and raised in Redondo Beach, who just turned 90. A guest in the crowd was K.C. Kuruvilla, a retired Indian Air Force commodore, whose daughter lives in town.
Redondo Veterans Memorial task force member Liz Dye recruited Fr. Murphy, and coordinated the appearance of AMVets, with an address by its California director Ross Smith.
Lasser concluded the ceremony with the “Veterans Prayer” – spoken by a chaplain during Lasser’s second tour of duty in Vietnam, as a helicopter pilot – “Never fight unless you have to, never fight alone, never fight for long.”
SIDEBAR: The M.C.
Tom Lasser has been the M.C. at the annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies in Redondo Beach since they began, in 2004, first held at the former bandshell next to the historic library at Veterans Park. At the time, the task force was raising money to build the memorial. Tuesday marked the 14th anniversary of its dedication.
“This has turned out to be an iconic, traditional, hometown community event,” Lasser said.
The task force still raises money to maintain the installation by selling engraved bricks at the memorial. It sold a record 35 more since Memorial Day.
How did Lasser become the M.C.?
“I missed the meeting and got volunteered for it, by (task force member) Ernie O’Dell,” he said. “I showed up the next meeting and they said it was me. I said, okay. So now I’ve got the best seat in the house, looking out on all in the crowd, the library and the palm trees.”
(from top to bottom) A member of the Sea Cadets, before the retiring of the colors; AMVets California Director Ross Smith; a group of Vietnam veterans in the crowd; M.C. Tom Lasser; 90-year-old local Army veteran Ray Shortridge; City Councilman Brad Waller leads the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance; Keynote speaker Colonel Andrew J. Baker, Army Corps of Engineers; a Marine Corps veteran sings the along to the RUHS wind ensemble during the Armed Forces medley; the edge of the RUHS wind ensemble. Photos by Garth Meyer
