The Vietnam Memorial at Ocean View and Honolulu serves as a reminder of troubled times.

By Mary O’KEEFE

America 1968 was turbulent. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated within two months of each other. The battles in Vietnam intensified, and protests against the fighting increased. Caught in the politics of the era were the men and women who served in Vietnam. Those who returned did not get the handshakes and welcome home banners like those in the military today. The nightly news was more likely to show soldiers dying on the battlefield rather than returning soldiers hugging their families.

It was during this time that residents in Montrose decided to create a monument to honor those who were killed while serving in the military in Vietnam. There is some debate as to whether Montrose’s was the first monument in the nation or just the first dedicated in California. Although Steve Pierce, Vietnam veteran, feels strongly the local memorial at the corner of Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard was the first in the nation, he said that, first or not, it is more important that the community felt strongly enough to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“It’s important to remember these were young men,” he said of the 24 names that are on the memorial wall. “They probably didn’t know what they were getting into but they were called and they served their country.”

On Saturday, there will be a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Montrose Vietnam Memorial.

“Michael Morgan approached me and said we should do something on its 50th year,” Pierce said.

For several years, Pierce was the keeper of the memorial. He made certain the flowering plants surrounding the wall were well-maintained and he cleaned any trash that may have been thrown around. That task has since passed to Morgan, who is also a member of the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley.

“Mike Lawler contacted me about the background of the 24 people on the memorial wall. I had just a little information about a few of the names but Mike found so much more,” Morgan said.

Lawler is also a member of the Historical Society as well as a writer for CV Weekly. For the last several weeks, Lawler has been highlighting in CVW the men whose names appear on the wall.

Pierce added the Vietnam Memorial means a lot to Montrose and that residents shared in the losses with local families.

“It says a lot about our community,” he said.

But it also means a lot to him and veterans who remember what the country was like when they returned from their tours in Vietnam.

“When we came back it was like we were the bad guys,” he said.

The 50th anniversary recognition will also be a time for the community to recognize a local American who dedicated his life to his country.

Vito Cannella passed away last year but left a legacy of patriotism that will be always remembered. Over 50 years ago Cannella saw the need for not just a Flag Day but a Flag Week. He wrote to Presidents, reached out for community support and tirelessly worked to get Flag Week recognized. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson officially recognized Flag Week. Each year Vito Cannella wrote letters to the President serving at the time requesting the continued recognition.

“We thought it was appropriate to honor Vito,” Pierce said.

The Montrose Shopping Park Association and Montrose Verdugo Chamber of Commerce added Cannella’s name to a plaque on a podium at the side of the memorial. The Cannella family will be in attendance at the unveiling of the plaque on Saturday afternoon.

Cannella emigrated from Italy in 1953 and was able to live the “American Dream,” opening his own business and raising his children in the Crescenta Valley.

“He loved his country from the moment he stepped foot on American [soil],” Pierce said. “It was people like him who made America great.”

The Vietnam Memorial 50th anniversary ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. at the corner of Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard. There will be light refreshments afterward.

  Mary Okeefe