COMMUNITY & CLUBS:Shedding tears of thanks

I don’t know if is because of age, but I find myself getting emotional when seeing the men and women in our armed services, the U.S. flag flying and when attending funerals.

Last week at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, a memorial service was held for Frank Anderson, a 50-year Rotarian, longtime Costa Mesa resident, former Y-Indian Guide dad with his sons, a Balboa Bay Club member, and USC alumni. Frank was a longtime friend; we worked together in Rotary, and he followed me as president of the Rotary Club of Newport -Balboa in the 1980s.

One of the moving parts of the service, presided over by Dr. John Huffman, was the presentation of the U.S. flag by three Navy personnel to Frank’s widow, Tia. Anderson served in the Navy during World War II, providing medical assistance to wounded Marines and sailors. As one Navy officer shared “I Am the Flag,” I wiped away tears. For many of us in attendance, it was the first time we had heard “I Am the Flag.” Daughter Stacy later that day found “I Am the Flag” online at unkarock .addr.com/unkarock/flag.htm.

Last week, I was in an airport catching a flight to Minneapolis to visit my brother for Thanksgiving and was moved by the number of Marines who were heading home for the holiday. One young Marine was on my flight, and when we arrived in Minneapolis, he was greeted at midnight not only by his girlfriend and parents, but by 23 young adults who had driven over two hours to welcome him home. Many of the passengers who stopped to witness the welcome had tears in their eyes, as I did. It turned out the same Marine was on the return flight to California. We talked for a few minutes, and I invited him and three of his Marine buddies to our home for Christmas dinner.

How do you say thanks to those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice while we continue to enjoy daily life?

You should see the e-mails from people involved in the Snowball Express, a weekend in Orange County for the families of fallen warriors and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Costa Mesa. Snowball Express founder Michel Kerr indicates that 372 families with 643 children have signed up for the Dec. 15 to 18 weekend. More than 1,000 kids and parents will stay in local hotels, spend a day at Disneyland, see a performance of “The Glory of Christmas,” and be treated to a holiday party.

The wife of a fallen warrior e-mailed that she and her children were living in a motel as a result of a fire at their home and they didn’t want to miss out on the Snowball Express. No problem, responded Kerr.

With all that is happening with the Snowball Express, I am proud to be a Rotarian and an American, and I shed tears of pride. It’s hard to wait the two weeks to see the Snowball Express families.

You can learn more about the Snowball Express by going to www.snowballexpress.org.

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

MONDAY

6 p.m.: The Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club will meet at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club for the annual Children’s Christmas Party.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 45-member Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise meets at Five Crowns. www.newportbeach sunriserotary.org.

Noon: The 20-member Rotary Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Costa Mesa Marriott Suites.

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s at Redhill Avenue and Bristol Street.

Noon: The 27-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a business meeting.

6 p.m.: The 55-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. www.newportbalboa.org.

THURSDAY7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Cafe.

9 a.m. The 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a business meeting. members.cox .net/nhexchangeclub/index.htm.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club meets at the Holiday Inn for the official visit by Alan Anderson, lieutenant governor. www.kiwanis.org /club/costamesa. The 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club; the 85-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the Radisson. www.nirotary.org.

runs Saturdays. Send meeting information to jdeboom@aol.com.