Lolita Harper David Alexander sat on the...
Lolita Harper
David Alexander sat on the stage at St. John the Baptist Catholic
School on Monday afternoon dressed in a perfectly pressed uniform,
with his many Marine Corps medals gleaming in contrast to the dark
wool.
Alexander sat in his chair with a serious look on his face as he
looked over the audience. He stood forcefully, with the rigid
discipline of a soldier, when it came time to honor the nation’s
veterans.
His hardened exterior melted when a first-grader delivered a
single white carnation to thank him for his service to the country. A
wide smile broke across his face as he accepted the simple, yet
significant gift.
“Being up on stage brings home the point of what we’re here to
defend,” Alexander said after the Veterans Day service at St. John
the Baptist. “It’s the men and women and young boys and girls that
you are sworn to protect.”
Alexander shared the stage with about 40 other veterans of various
ages and branches of the armed forces. Each took their honored
position in front of the church while a student body of 600 and other
members of the community paid tribute.
The mood of the service varied, from a solemn playing of Taps --
remembering those who gave their lives in service -- to lively,
upbeat traditional wartime jazz played by The Air National Guard Band
of the Southwest.
Each class showed its admiration for the servicemen and women with
homages of patriotic tunes they had been perfecting since September.
Gina Galassi, 13, said all the hours of practice were well worth
it.
“This is very important because they saved our country,” Gina
said.
Veteran Kathryn Van Hook, who served in the Marines during World
War II, certainly appreciated the ceremony.
“I’ve been to a lot of Veterans Day programs, but this one came
from those children’s hearts, and I can’t get over it,” Van Hook
said.
Alexander and his family certainly took heart in the service. His
nieces, who both attend the private Catholic school, also thanked
Alexander by crushing him in a grateful embrace.
This time, the restraint ingrained in him from 10 years of
military service was gone, and a large grin replaced it.
The girls will only be able to see their uncle briefly, as he will
return to the Marine base in Hawaii in two months. After that, it is
anyone’s guess.
“You never know,” Alexander said when asked if he was in danger of
being sent to the Middle East. “No one is immune. When they call you
up to go, they don’t give you a choice.”
* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.
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