Community Corner

Capistrano Thanks Its Veterans

A ceremony and barbecue were held in honor of Veterans Day on Friday in San Juan Capistrano.

As Bill Hardy—a World War II flying ace decorated with the Navy Cross—recounted gunning down five airplanes just south of Okinawa one day in 1945, a Marine at least 50 years his junior murmured “that’s insane.”

On Friday, veterans as young as Ben Briggs and as senior as Hardy were celebrated for their service. But for Briggs—who returned home to San Juan Capistrano from a deployment to Afghanistan two years ago in November—the true war heroes are those who served before him.

“I think my stories are nothing compared to theirs,” he said.

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"Our town has proudly given to us their fathers and sons," said Mayor Sam Allevato, a red poppy pinned to his suit collar and Camino Capistrano traffic whizzing by behind him. "We owe them much more than we can ever repay."

San Juan Capistrano's Veterans Day tributes began with a ceremony in Veterans Park hosted by VWF Post 3801 and concluded with a barbecue at Historic Town Center Park, where girls from San Clemente United Soccer passed out handmade "thank you" cards to those who served.

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The sentiment touched Lillyan Norman. Decorated in crayon, the paper card read: "thank you for serving our country. Thank you for protecting our freedoms." Her stint from 1943 to 1945 in the Navy began after being encouraged to do so with a friend she met in Chicago while working in the civil service.

Her friend had a heart murmer, so Norman ended up riding alone on a train to New York City. She marched through the mud and the rain in bootcamp at Hunter College before being stationed at Camp Elliott.

She was overseeing an office at the base as a first class petty officer when she met a man who had just returned from overseas.

"I decided I wanted to marry him, so I had to get out. When you're in love, that's just the decision you make," she said. "But it was hard to do, because I loved being in the Navy."


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