VA Dedicates a New Veterans Home

On Flag Day, a new Veterans Home was dedicated on the VA property in Brentwood with a dais full of government speakers including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Councilman Bill Rosendahl. But it was more than a dedication of the $253-million building, which will house 396 aged and disabled veterans; it was a celebration of gratitude to the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces. A 50-ft.-by-80 ft. flag provided the backdrop for the ceremonies, emceed by Stan Chambers, a Navy veteran and pioneer Los Angeles news reporter for KTLA television. A Marine Corps marching band played ‘It’s a Grand Old Flag’ and a military medley, including ‘Anchors Aweigh,’ ‘The Caissons Go Rolling Along,’ ‘The Marines’ Hymn,’ ‘The Air Force Song’ (‘Off we go, into the wild blue yonder’) and the Coast Guard’s ‘Semper Paratus.’ Upon hearing ‘their’ song, the numerous veterans in the audience rose in respect, and some sang along. Emil Wroblicky of Pacific Palisades American Legion Post 283, a Marine veteran, was responsible for the band at the ceremony. ‘I called the Marine base at Miramar and asked if they could attend,’ Wroblicky said. ‘General Tom Conant promised they’d be here. He was also supposed to be here, but then he was called to Afghanistan.’ Bob Ryan, Post 283 Adjutant, was recognized for his efforts as a member of the VA Board that helped cut through bureaucracy to have the facility completed (it’s only the sixth Veterans Home in California, a state that has more than 2.1-million veterans). Post 283 was also thanked for its $2-million-plus contribution to the Fisher House, which opened last year and offers families of veterans a place to stay for free while their loved ones are hospitalized at the VA. Additionally, Post 283 members and auxiliary were instrumental in providing patriotic paper hats and flags for every person in attendance. Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech highlighted his appreciation of veterans and the Veterans Home project. ‘As each and every one of you knows, freedom is not free. For more than 200 years it’s been paid for in blood and in sacrifice by those who have worn our nation’s uniform. Let us never forget that America is the land of the free only because it is the home of the brave.’   He noted that 20 years ago, sites for five homes had been designated, but then nothing happened. When he became governor, he appointed Tom Johnson as Secretary of Veterans Affairs and said that getting the homes built was a number-one priority for his administration. In recent years, homes have opened in Ventura and Lancaster, and ground has been broken for homes in Fresno and Redding.   Yaroslavsky said he was at the function because the VA is part of the county and not the City of Los Angeles because it was never incorporated. ‘We look forward to partnering with the VA in the years ahead to make this the kind of place that not only veterans will be proud of but the United States of America will be proud of,’ he said. Councilman Rosendahl served as a psychiatric social worker in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, during the Vietnam War. ‘That one year in that clinic told me something that I will never, ever forget. War ain’t fun for anybody,’ he said. ‘But if we didn’t go and fight for our freedom we wouldn’t be standing here today.’ During the dedication ceremony, four World War II planes flew over. ‘They were SNJ naval trainers,’ Post 283 Commander John Johansen said afterwards. ‘They were training planes and one of the pilots is 87 years old.’ Johansen, a Navy vet, would know because American Legion Post 283 sponsored the fly-over. After the ceremony, the Palisades Legionnaires hosted a luncheon for members of the Marine Corps band at the Fisher House. Applications are now being accepted for the Veterans Home, which will open for patients this fall. An applicant must be age 62 or older (or younger if disabled), a resident of California and have served honorably in the military. There are two levels of care: a residential care facility for the elderly, or assisted living unit; and a skilled nursing facility including an Alzheimer’s/dementia or ‘memory care’ unit. Call (424) 832-8202 to apply for further admission information.