By Mary O’KEEFE

Sometimes it takes someone who immigrated to America to really understand the meaning of the country.

That was evident on Monday, Veterans’ Day, when Congressman Adam Schiff recognized Vito Cannella for his selfless and endless support of his adopted country.

“Being born here [in America], you take a lot of things for granted. It takes someone like Vito to remind us of how important our country is,” said Ken Grayson, Montrose Shopping Park Association president.

Cannella lived the American dream; he owned his own business – Vito’s Barber Shop – and was postmaster for Montrose for many years. He can still be found cutting hair and sharing stories at Montrose Barber Shop on Ocean View Boulevard.

Vito, as everyone in Montrose and Crescenta Valley knows him, immigrated to America in 1953 and moved to La Crescenta in 1954. His favorite symbol of his new country was, and is, the American flag. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson officially recognized Flag Week, which can be attributed to the tireless campaign waged by Vito.

Of his support of America, Schiff said, “Vito is second to none.”

Schiff presented Vito with a flag that had flown over Congress. Vito asked that it be first flown over the Vietnam Memorial in Montrose on this Veterans’ Day.

The CV High School JROTC raised the flag.

Schiff added, “You have my profound respect.”

  Mary Okeefe