A man in red, white and blue

Torus Tammer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Before he was the city’s mayor, Guy Carrozzo was a

military man.

As a “Buck” Sergeant in the Air Force, he served in Okinawa from 1952 to

1953. It is because of his tour of duty that Carrozzo will be featured in

the Time Warner Communications program “Pride and Patriots.”

The half-hour show on cable Channel 6 will broadcast at 2:30 and 8:30

p.m. throughout July, starting Tuesday. In the one-on-one videotaped chat

with Korean War veteran Lt. Colonel Tom Wall, Carrozzo -- who has

dedicated his year as mayor to bolstering patriotism -- gives a more

in-depth glimpse of his red, white and blue heart.

“Without the veterans and POWs who fought, suffered and died for our

country, none of us would have professions to go to today,” the

67-year-old told the Independent. “We owe them a debt of gratitude

because they brought us this day and age.”

A son of Italian immigrants, Carrozzo developed his civic pride early in

life, passed on from his parents.

“My parents loved their country, but when they came to America, they came

to stay,” Carrozzo said. “They gave us that gift, and taught us to love

and respect our country as well.”

That love was strengthened for Carrozzo during World War II, when as a

9-year-old he collected metals such as scrap iron and aluminum as part of

a concerted national effort to help America’s war effort.

On a deeper level, Carrozzo has taken it upon himself to set an example

and to preserve the country’s hard-fought history. His commitment to such

a task is dedicated to soldiers who fought, suffered and died to

establish freedom for future generations.

“I want our country’s history to be preserved truthfully for the future,”

Carrozzo said. “I hope that the revisionists document the hard times we

fought so hard for as it really happened.”

Carrozzo, who has been an educator for 30 years, believes it is of

extreme importance to display the flag that many died to protect -- to

the point that Fountain Valley is even displaying Old Glory and the flags

of the armed services on the services’ birth dates. Carrozzo often pays

tribute by wearing a star-spangled tie.

“I was taught to be responsible and work hard as a kid. At 12, I was

buying my own clothes,” Carrozzo said. “We have freedom today because the

soldiers did their jobs. Whether they wanted to or not, they came

through.”