VOICES
Time for San Pedro to Honor All of Its War Dead by Steve Marconi
10 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I NOVEMBER 2015
With the long-awaited waterfront redevelopment finally underway, San Pedro has a perfect opportunity to do something it should have done a long time ago – build a memorial to its war dead. Yes, we have a WWII memorial, but it’s tucked away in a remote corner of Green Hills Memorial Park, and that’s not even in San Pedro. This town has a long list of men who have died in other wars who deserve to be remembered just as much as their WWII brethren. San Pedro’s history is inextricably linked to the armed services. Its sons have answered the call to arms time and again, and failing to honor the fallen, many of whom still have family and friends living in the area, is beyond negligent, it’s inexcusable. There are a lot of ideas floating around for repurposing the space around the Maritime Museum, the linchpin in redevelopment plans, and no one can argue there isn’t room for a memorial of some kind. Depending on how much money developers want to spend, it could even be a centerpiece along the lines of the nearby Merchant Marine Memorial. Either way, that location took on even more significance when the USS Iowa arrived. Could there be anything more synergistic than a memorial to war dead within view of a ship that fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam? The perfect spot would probably be right
in front of the vaunted battleship, but the logistics involving the non-profit battleship museum might be prohibitive. The important thing is that the memorial be accessible to the public and in a place where the greatest number of people would see it. After all, isn’t that the point of memorials, to make sure that the dead are remembered? In San Pedro, there is no better site than the waterfront, and the time is right. Everyone likes to believe “we will never forget” the sacrifices of previous generations, but aside from family and friends, who remembers these men: Korean War (1950-52) – Robert Rodriquez Barajas, William Eugene Cottom, Charles Albert Falk, Pivo Fallorina, Manuel H. Flores Jr., Roger Gonzales, Victor E. Johnson, Alan McGlashan, Edwin "Eddie" Medina, Charles Clinton Schwartz, Floyd Shepard. Vietnam War (1965-75) – John Anthony Burich Jr., Steve Butorovic, Freddie Joe Cigar, David Patrick Dolan, Roberto Cervantes Duenas, Henry Kenneth Frye, Gregory I. Hankamer, William Arthur Heep, Robert Michael Kelly, Paul Joseph Marquez, Frank John Joe Mattera, Alan Lee Matthews, Donald Stephen Newton, Douglas Ellsworth Nichols, Frank Dennis Ortega, Lawrence Pinales, David Stirling Reid, Victor Thomas Rikkal, Craig Alan Sysak, Molimau Asomaliu Tela, Ralph Paul Villegas. The inclusion of Frye and Rikkal on a San Pedro memorial would right the wrong that they, as two of 74 American sailors killed in the collision of the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans with an Australian aircraft carrier during maneuvers in the Pacific, have been left off the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Then there are the 160-plus men from WWII and another 22 from WWI. Harbor Commission, the ball’s in your court. Calling All Pirates The second annual San Pedro High School Athletic Hall of Fame banquet is Nov. 7, and if last year’s inaugural event was any indication, it should be quite an evening. In anticipation of another large crowd, the ceremony has been moved to the Crafted warehouse on S. Harbor Blvd., which will provide the space both inside for Pirate fans and outside for parking. And although there will be seating for more than 1,000 people, tickets are being handled with an eye to eliminating long waits to get inside. That's where the Pirates will be trotting out some of the most famous names in the school's sports history, baseball greats such as former major leaguers Garry Maddox, Alan Ashby, Brian Harper and Eddie Jurak; Pat Yelovich and John Christensen, legends, respectively, in swimming and gymnastics; along with Zlatko Josic (basketball); Raul Haro (soccer); Valerie Flores (cross country); and softball’s Ashley Esparza and Kim Parker. Brian Harper is being joined by his brother, Glenn, in the sibling category, which also includes another legendary pair, court stars Novian and Damon Whitsitt. When it comes to siblings, however, nothing will come close to the nine – count 'em, nine –Gravett brothers being inducted. Three families, the Stevenses, Whitts and Charlie Castanedas, are being honored for their multigenerational contributions to Pirate sports. Tim Ursich and famed gymnastics coach John Balen round out the lifetime achievement honorees. Four undefeated City title teams, 1987 boys soccer, 1972 and 1973 girls basketball and 1999 girls cross-country, will be inducted. Posthumous inductees are Morris Cigar, Bill Seixas, Mickey Panovich, Wynn Ryder, Randy Hoxie, John Gligo, Jack Bloomingdale, Herb Johnson, Jim Trani, Ray Martinez, Nick Trani, Ante Perkov, Sam Domancich and Vincent Thomas. Come to think of it, the Crafted may not be big enough after all. To ensure a seat, go to www.sanpedropirateboosters.com or send a check to Boosters president Leonard Miller at 1589 Plymouth Lane, San Pedro, CA 90732. Tickets are $50, with all proceeds going directly to Hall of Fame projects. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.