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Community Corner

Hermosa Honors Veterans

Residents gather outside the Community Center on Thursday night for a Veterans Day ceremony by candlelight.

More than 100 locals gathered on the east lawn of the Community Center to remember the country's war veterans at a candlelight vigil Thursday night.

Redondo Union High's junior ROTC conducted the presentation of colors and the school's chorus ensemble sang the national anthem.

As daylight faded during dusk, Rep. Jane Harman spoke to the crowd, which included many veterans wearing their armed forces garb.

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Vietnam veteran Rasta Hagopian, 63, watched attentively. He told Patch that he was drafted straight out of high school. When he returned home, he faced troubles in his new civilian life, he said.

"I lost my home in Redondo...trying to get some food stamps, medical, it's hard for Vietnam veterans to get by these days," he explained, saying that's why the Hermosa ceremony "mean[s] a lot to me." 

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The mood was subdued as attendees listened to Harman talk about the first bill she authored that become law, which allowed the POW-MIA flag to be flown on patriotic holidays.

"The impetus for that came from a city councilman in Lomita who tried to fly it, and was told by the post office that it was illegal to fly the flag," she said before emphasizing the importance of honoring all veterans who "sign a blank check putting their lives on the line" for our country.

Hermosa Beach police Lt. Tom Thompson spoke about his experience as an Air Force veteran and used his father-in-law as an example of how war veterans risked their lives for freedom.

Thompson's father-in-law "had his tank blown out from under him, all of his crew died and he survived," Thompson said. "It's incredible the sacrifice that veterans go through during a time of war."

In honor of all fallen soldiers, Hagopian told Patch that his goal in the near future is to visit the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. He hopes to find the name of his first friend who was killed in Vietnam, he said. This friend has been on his mind for years.

"I always think about my brothers," Hagopian said. "All the time."

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