[RonDog]

And, from the press release:

REDONDO BEACH MEMORIAL DAY PARADE AND TRIBUTE COMMITTEE PRESS RELEASE

May 19, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade & Tribute Committee welcomes the USS Sacramento to Redondo Beach for the Second Annual Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade and Tribute, as the ship makes a liberty visit to our city beginning Friday, May 28 through Tuesday, June 1.

To welcome the USS Sacramento Reverend Bhagavan Friend, Chairman and Founder of the Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade and Tribute will present 16 golf certificates donated by Donald Trump and the Ocean Trails Country Club, 145 tickets donated by the Dodgers to a Dodgers game, and a long list of local businesses that will graciously provide discounts to the crew of over 600 while they are in town. The Happy Clam will provide 2 for 1 drinks for the crew upon their arrival and Hennessey’s Tavern in Riviera Village will host a Navy night on Sunday, May 30. All are welcome to attend. The Elks Club and the Redondo Beach Fire Fighter’s Community Relief Fund will be hosting a BBQ in Veterans Park for all the sailors after the parade and tribute.

Members of the community are invited to "adopt" a sailor by hosting him or her for a home cooked meal, or by taking a sailor to lunch or dinner. Anyone interested in hosting a sailor should call (310) 798-7876. We also encourage community members to pick up the tab if you see a sailor out or just stop and offer words of thanks.

The King Harbor Yacht Club will host a private reception for the Captain his Officers and Chief Petty Officers on Friday, May 28, 2004. There will be a dockside welcome with the 42nd Highlanders Regimental Pipes and Drums, music by the Hyperion Serenadors and Harpist Pandora Victor. Mayor Greg Hill will present the Captain with a Key to the City. The Ceremony will end with a Bell Tolling by Captain Lloyd Reeves on his S-44 Submarine Replica. Members of the press that wish to cover this event should make a reservation by calling Reverend Friend at (310) 540-6044.

Captain Mike Manazir of the USS Sacramento will be one of our parade Grand Marshals, and will speak at the Tribute Ceremony after the parade. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in May 1981 and was designated a Naval Aviator in April 1983. He has completed nine extended deployments to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf and amassed more than 3,000 F-14A/D flight hours and 900 carrier-arrested landings. Captain Manazir has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Strike Flight Air Medals, three Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various unit, service, and campaign awards.

Local Marine Sgt. Major Peterson will also be a Parade Grand Marshal, in honor of the Enlisted men and women of the Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much on our battlefields. He graduated from Santa Fe High School in California in 1967. Enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1968, Sgt Maj Peterson served with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment as a rifleman and grenadier and operated out of Vandegrift Combat Base in the northern region of South Viet Nam. He is currently assigned to 3D ANGLICO in Terminal Island, California.

Over 100 other participants include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, City Officials, Veterans Groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Community Groups and local businesses. The Sacramento Sailors recently returned from an eight-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism as part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group. 65 of these sailors will be marching in the parade.

The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Catalina Avenue and Knob Hill in Redondo Beach, travel down Catalina to Torrance Blvd., and end in Veterans Park for the Tribute Ceremony. The Reviewing Stand will be at Pearl and Catalina. A Tribute Ceremony will follow at 11:30 at the Bandshell in Veterans Park where there will be a 21 Gun Salute to Honor America’s Fallen Heroes, a flyover by two F/A 14 Fighter Jets at 11:45 a.m. We want to notify the community that the flyover will be quite loud and sudden. Children and pets should receive special attention and care. The Ceremony will also include Speakers, Patriotic Music and a United Benediction by members of different Faiths throughout the Community. The Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade & Tribute Committee invite the Community to come join us in Honoring America’s Fallen Heroes, who have Sacrificed everything for our Freedoms.

For more information contact: Reverend Bhagavan Friend (310) 540-6044; cell (310) 722-7576; or go to www.rbmdp.com or e-mail parade@patriotcities.us

For more information on the Sacramento or the Navy please visit: Sacramento's web page at: http://www.sacramento.navy.mil; Navy web page at: http://www.navy.mil; or the Commander, Third Fleet web page at http://www.c3f.navy.mil.

[RonDog]

To welcome the USS Sacramento...

...145 tickets donated by the Dodgers to a Dodgers game...

Thanks to a few well-placed PHONE CALLS by FReeper (and Navy Dad) doug from upland. :o)

[RonDog]

Check out the VIDEO report (by daviddennis) from the FIRST annual Memorial Day parade (last year) at www.amazing.com:

Ex-Hippie's Memorial Day Parade a Smash!

See My Video of the Event!

Memorial Day Parade!

For some reason, Redondo Beach had never had a Memorial Day Parade, and this year ex-hippie Friend was determined to change that. It wasn't easy, but in eight weeks he carried the event from concept to completion with his exceptional organizational skills.

Our own RonDog helped, with his sterling promotional and logistical skills.

To get into the spirit of the event, you really have to see my video of the event, but here are a few stills to whet your appetite.

Rev. Friend, shown above at the start of the parade with his bagpipers.

[RonDog]

The Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade & Tribute Committee welcomes the USS Sacramento to Redondo Beach...

See also, from www.sacramento.navy.mil/news/photo:

USS SACRAMENTO and USS VINSON near the island of Iwo Jima.

[Doctor Raoul]

There's a restaurant down by the power plant that had such a reputation as a pick up spot that the locals called it "The Spread Onion".

[VOA]

The Sacramento Sailors recently returned from an eight-month deployment to the Arabian
Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism as part
of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group.

...just posted for lurkers/posters info.

[RonDog]

Over 100 other participants include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, City Officials, Veterans Groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Community Groups and local businesses...

...including a MARCHING BAND from Bellflower High School:

[RonDog]

...a flyover by two F/A 14 Fighter Jets...

...will be quite loud and sudden.

That would probably be THESE guys:

[RonDog]

A Tribute Ceremony will follow at 11:30 at the Bandshell in Veterans Park...

...where there will be a 21 Gun Salute to Honor America’s Fallen Heroes...

From digivideoplus.com:

[RonDog]

This just in, from www.kiisfm.com/localcalendar.html:

WELCOME TO THE 102.7 KIIS FM
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
If you have a community event/charity event which you would like to add to the KIIS-FM Community Calendar, submit your request with all relevant information, plus a contact name and number to our Public Service Director:  Please use the headline 102.7 KIIS FM Community Calendar. Thank You.

EMAIL: Chet Hearring

PHONE: (818) 845-1027

FAX: (818) 845-6397

-- snip --

REDONDO BEACH MEMORIAL DAY PARADE AND TRIBUTE COMMITTEE
Monday May 31
Reverend Friend, Chairman and Organizer, and the Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade & Tribute Committee, will present the Second Annual Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade and Tribute, on Monday, May 31, 2004 beginning 10:00 a.m.

The parade begins on Catalina Avenue and Knob Hill in Redondo Beach, travels down Catalina to Torrance Blvd., and ends in Veterans Park.

Some parade participants include the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Veterans Groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Community Groups, and much more. We are proud to welcome the USS Sacramento, a Navy Ship, to our shores for the Parade and Tribute.

Captain Mike Manazir of the Sacramento will be one of our Parade Grand Marshals. Sgt. Major Peterson of the Marine Corps will be our second Grand Marshal. A Tribute will follow at 11:45 in Veterans Park where there will be a 21-Gun Salute to Honor America’s Fallen Heroes, a flyover by two F/A 14 Fighter Jets, speakers, Patriotic Music and a United Benediction by members of different Faiths throughout the Community.

Come join us in Honoring America’s Fallen Heroes, who have sacrificed everything for our Freedoms. For more information call (310) 540-6044 or go to www.rbmdp.com

Thanks, KIIS-FM!

Perhaps a few FReepers could ALSO thank Chet for promoting our parade - HERE (hint, hint):

Chet Hearring (chethearring@clearchannel.com)

[RonDog]

See also, from ONE STAR SPONSORS (of the Redondo Beach Memorial Day Parade and Tribute):

ONE STAR SPONSORS

-- snip --

California Republican Party
1903 West Magnolia,
Burbank, CA
(818) 954-9853
Web Site: www.cagop.org

THANK YOU, California Republican Party!

For the record, we ALSO asked the Democrats to particpate in our Memorial Day Parade and Tribute, but they had to wash their cat that weekend. :o)

[RonDog]

"FReeper Canteen" ping!

[F14 Pilot]

F-14 FLIES OVER!