Pearls of wisdom
Danette Goulet
LONG BEACH -- As a pilot in World War II, Aaron Bates lost both his
feet and his left eye.
As he sits confined to a wheelchair in the Long Beach Veterans
Hospital, Bates holds no grudges and is proud to have fought for the
freedom that he helped ensure.
“You only got one life,” he said. “And if we can, we got to make it
the best. We can make it better for younger people. We got crippled up,
but we got freedom.”
With those thoughts foremost in his mind, Bates had a proud gleam in
his eye despite his hunched posture and weathered face on Wednesday
morning as he watched seventh- and eighth-grade students from Corona del
Mar High School perform a variety show in the hospital’s nursing home.
More than 100 middle school students traveled to Long Beach to sing
carols and perform acts for the disabled veterans.
Students brought pastries and muffins with them that were donated by
Bristol Farms and the Sweet Life bakery.
Students sang Christmas carols, performed dance numbers, played
instruments, acted out skits, did impressions, and read poems and
tributes. Feedback, a three-piece rock band, even made its debut
performance.
“It’s just beautiful,” said Edward Bateups, who served as an Army
corporal from 1948 to 1952. “It’s hard to get a group of little kids
together like this.”
After 26 separate acts, students piled veterans laps high with wrapped
presents.
“I feel like my daughter -- and shaking them,” said Fred Carrasco, who
served as an Army corporal in 1945, as he received his packages.
He may shake them, but Carrasco said he would wait until Dec. 25 to
open his gifts.
“I enjoyed it a lot because it made them real happy when we gave them
the presents,” said Jessica Gianotti, 13.
Having visited with veterans, students will now hear about the horrors
of war that put the soldiers in that hospital.
Today, on the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, six men who
fought for this country will tell their stories to Corona del Mar
students. Through the program, parents and teachers hope to teach
students to honor and appreciate veterans.
That appreciation is invaluable to veterans such as Bates, who said
many people don’t understand what they did or how things might be if they
had not fought.
“Days like this -- I appreciate this, because it makes us think people
think about us,” Bates said. “I’m proud when people thank me.”
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.