Lessons of life forever etched in granite...

Lessons of life forever etched in granite

The Vietnam Wall Experience, on tour at the Pacific View Memorial

Park & Mortuary in Corona del Mar, was a revelation -- especially so

because of the teenagers present. I mingled with hundreds of high

school students from our school district during a special tour. The

kids, along with the sights and sounds of the exhibit, were a perfect

reference point to help this adult comprehend the memorial to

veterans.

Even though the touring model of the wall of 58,000 names is 80

feet shorter than the Vietnam memorial in the nation’s capitol, it is

imposingly long. At 240 feet it is so long that, had the morning been

foggy, I couldn’t have seen the far end of it. But there was no fog,

just the pleasant kind of spring day that I’ve taken for granted as

my right as a Southern Californian.

As our group paused, I heard a variety of sounds. In front of the

wall, there were sounds of students dealing with the memorial in

typical teen fashion: Most were quietly chattering about everything

but death; some had sounds in their ears courtesy of their MP3

headsets; and a few made no sound as they silently traced names

engraved in the faux granite.

Above, flags flapped softly in the brisk wind pouring over the

hill. There were flags from the several branches of service -- many

crisp Old Glories dazzling the eye against the backdrop of the blue

sky over Corona del Mar.

Down the hill from the wall was a display of World War II

equipment restored by a grateful citizen -- Jeeps, a pup tent and a

sandbag-protected machine gun. I could hear the vets in their

uniforms arranging the gear so they would be ready to describe what

fighting with real bullets was like.

I heard a Marine veteran explaining to the kids the link between

the freedoms they have and the sacrifices military service members

have made. He pointed out to the students that, in this country, they

are free to criticize their government, to wear spiky hair and, yes,

burn the Stars and Stripes, if they really want to, because of our

democratic form of government and the millions of people who have

served, and are serving, in the military.

The 31-year veteran is still serving his country, this time by

spending vacation time from his job as a teacher in another school

district to patiently explain to teens that freedom isn’t free.

If these kids are like me when I was hearing about World War II

and Korea as a teen, the intellectual part of the sergeant’s message

might sink in, but the gut acceptance might not.

Back then, I was immortal, so I didn’t think about death.

Patriotism wasn’t necessary, either, I thought. I took it for granted

that America was so strong -- patriotism wasn’t needed any more; it

was just for old fogies who didn’t have a life. As for troops who had

died defending our country, well, they had just made some bad

choices.

I’ve learned a bit about life -- and death -- since then. As a

result, I don’t take life for granted anymore. My remaining life is

precious to me. So, too, is the hopefully long life of

uncomprehending teens such as the one I once was. And precious, too,

is the life of every one of those kids who served in Vietnam and

lived. And those who served and were wounded and maybe scarred for

life.

And precious, too, are those who served and were killed and whose

names are forever engraved on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

I saw my America on Friday. The teens, the vets and the Vietnam

Wall Experience helped me to better see and appreciate my America,

the land of the free.

TOM EGAN

Costa Mesa

* TOM EGAN is a member of the Board of Trustees Newport-Mesa

Unified School District.

Trying out the county’s mass transit

Over the last several weeks, gas prices have skyrocketed. And just

this week, two columns ran in the Pilot regarding the high gas

prices. On Wednesday, Lolita Harper reminisced of the days of paying

$1.09 a gallon in “Gas prices driving us down.” On Saturday, Flo

Martin proclaimed that it’s “awesome” that gas prices are high in

“Reveling in the glorious cost of gasoline.”

And today, as a non-driver of automobiles, I’ll add my two cents:

Give the bus a try.

I don’t have a car, I don’t drive a car and frankly, I don’t

particularly want to drive a car. I ride the bus, train or find a

carpool. The saying goes: In Southern California, everyone drives. So

when I tell someone that I don’t drive, the response is often a

perplexed face followed by the question, “Why don’t you drive a car?”

This probably has something to do with using public transportation

my entire life. I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, where an

extensive network of trains and buses provided connections to go

around town. Cars were not a necessity. (In fact, gas was expensive,

around $4 a gallon, much like Europe.) Now, I am a student at Orange

Coast College, and I still rely mainly on transit.

Riding a bus is actually quite pleasant. Forget the stress and

hassle of driving. No need to worry about having to stay alert for a

pedestrian jaywalking, a car running a red light or getting

rear-ended by a distracted driver on a cell phone. On the bus, you

let the professional take care of driving; just pay the fare, sit

down and relax.

Better yet, many of the buses running in Orange County have low

floors, meaning they do not have steep steps to climb up and down

when boarding and alighting.

Also, low-floor buses have another positive attribute of providing

a high ceiling. At over 7 feet, the there’s plenty of head room,

which even the most expensive luxury cars can’t provide. And not to

mention, the air-conditioned environment that keeps the riders

comfortable.

Bus service in the Newport-Mesa area is quite frequent and

convenient. For example, buses on Bristol Street and Harbor Boulevard

come at least every 15 minutes on weekdays, and as frequent as every

6 minutes during peak hours. A popular bus line, route 55, connects

Fashion Island to Triangle Square, runs along Orange Coast College

and South Coast Plaza, eventually leading to the bus terminal in

Santa Ana, right across from the County Hall of Administration and a

short walk away from the County Courthouse.

“But Chris, it takes too long to go anywhere on the bus,” I often

hear.

There is some truth to that statement. Going longer distances

could give traveling by bus a time penalty of over an hour. But would

it be that bad to wake up an hour early to ride the bus to work?

Would it really matter whether you see that late-night comedy show or

a sitcom rerun? Go to sleep an hour early, wake an hour early, walk

to the bus stop and start the morning with smile and a “good morning”

to the bus driver. It may take longer, but wouldn’t it be worth

avoiding the drive in heavy traffic and becoming irritated first

thing in the morning?

Gas prices are too high, right? Take this opportunity to try the

bus. At $1 a ride, $2.50 all day or $37.50 for 30 days, using the bus

is a bargain. Save gas, save money. And while you’re at it, it’ll

reduce cars on the road, and the commute just may be a pleasant one.

To find out bus route information, simply check out the Orange

County Transportation Authority’s website at www.octa.net and see

what routes fit your commuting routine.

CHRISTIAN KROELLS

Newport Beach