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.”