Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 28, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, May 28, 2022 


SIERRA MADRE OLDER AMERICAN 
OF THE YEAR RECOGNITION 

Wednesday, June 15 from 4:30 pm-7:30 pmHart Park House Senior Center 

Traditionally the Senior Community Commission would be honoring one very special individual 
who has given themselves selflessly to volunteering in our community. 

This year the Commission has made a very special selection...they have selected to celebrate ALL 
of our seniors! As we begin to rediscover our friends, loved ones and neighbors, we are learning 
how incredible and resilient each of you are and each one of you deserves to be celebrated! 

Please join the Senior Community Commission as we enjoy an evening of finger foods, wine, 
laughter and celebration. The theme this year is “Age My Way” so please come with some fun 
stories and words of wisdom that we can share with our fellow and future seniors. 
No reservations are required. 

Please call Lawren at 626-355-5278 or email lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com 
with questions that you may have. 

THE SIERRA MADRE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE HOSTING ANOTHER UPCOMING 
EDUCATIONAL EVENT, TAKING PLACE ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 
15TH. 
This educational workshop will be focused on the “Set” component of the “Ready! Set! Go!” 
model. We will discuss Emergency Action Plans, Wildfire Insurance, and provide a presentation 
on Emergency Supply Kits. At the end of the presentation, we will have a raffle for all in attendance. 
We will be raffling a 72-hour Emergency Supply kit and a solar-powered power bank. 


WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

So much to talk about this week… 

First of all, I want to add my thoughts 
about Joan Crow. She was a super person! 
There, that’s it. Joan and Bruce lived just 
a block or so away from us and we saw 
her all the time walking around town. 
She had something nice to say and a terrific 
smile every time we saw her. When 
you want to think about positive people 
in the neighborhood, Joan is at the top of 
the list. Joan was involved in practically 
everything in town and brought her useful 
and joyful presence to all she did. She 
will be missed. 

The Trail Race is this Saturday! So exciting 
and the weather seems to be cooperating, 
with cool mornings and even some 
rain this week. Cool beats the heck out of 
scorching hot when you’re talking about 
running up the Mt. Wilson Trail 8.6 
miles and back. Good luck everyone and 
fingers crossed that no one falls down. 


Memorial Day is this Monday and I’ve put my Dad’s picture up, circa 1944 or so. He 
was in the Navy during WWII and was so handsome. I came across this Memorial 
Day Tribute, published by the Paralyzed Veterans of America: 

“They answered their country’s call to arms. 

Into battle they did go. 

Where their final destination was, no one will ever know. 

May their final resting place, under some unknown sod, 

Be forever hallowed, for it is known only unto God.” 

I am sure there will be wonderful moments at Pioneer Cemetery to commemorate 
the day. John and I never missed this event and came away every year so glad we had 
gone. 

Speaking of Memorial Day, I came across this amazing story (thanks to Wikipedia) 
you might never have heard. 

“Doris “Dorie” Miller was a black American sailor in the United States Navy. He 
manned anti-aircraft guns during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, 
for which he had no training and then tended to the wounded. Miller was a crewman 
aboard the West Virginia and awoke at 6 a.m. on that fateful day. He served breakfast 
mess and was collecting laundry at 7:57 a.m. when Lt. Commander Shigeharu 
Murata from the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi launched the first of nine torpedoes 
that hit the West Virginia. The “Battle Stations” alarm went off; Miller headed for his 
battle station, an anti-aircraft battery magazine amidships, only to discover that a 
torpedo had destroyed it. He then raced to “Times Square”, a central spot aboard the 
ship, reporting himself available for other duty. Miller was ordered to help Lt. Frederic 
H. White to help him and Ensign Victor Delano load the unmanned number 1 and 
number 2 Browning .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine guns aft of the conning tower. 
Delano expected Miller to feed ammunition to one gun, but when his attention was 
diverted and he looked again he saw Miller was firing one of the guns. White then 
loaded ammunition into both guns and assigned Miller the starboard gun. 

Meanwhile, Captain Mervyn Bennion, had a gaping wound in his abdomen where 
he had apparently been hit by shrapnel. Miller and another sailor lifted the skipper 
but were unable to remove him from the bridge so they carried him from his exposed 
position on the damaged bridge to a sheltered spot behind the conning tower. Captain 
Bennion refused to leave his post, questioned his officers about the condition of 
the ship and gave orders. 

Miller fired the gun until he ran out of ammunition, when he was ordered by Lt. 
Claude V. Ricketts to help carry the Captain up to the navigation bridge out of the 
thick oily smoke generated by the many fires on and around the ship. Captain Bennion 
was only semi-conscious at this point and died soon afterward. Japanese aircraft 
eventually dropped two armor-piercing bombs through the deck of the battleship 
and launched five 18-inch (460 mm) aircraft torpedoes into her port side. When 
the attack finally lessened, Miller helped move injured sailors through oil and water 
to the quarterdeck, thereby "unquestionably saving the lives of a number of people 
who might otherwise have been lost." 

The ship was heavily damaged by bombs, torpedoes, and resulting explosions and 
fires, but the crew prevented her from capsizing by counter-flooding a number of 
compartments. Instead, West Virginia sank to the harbor bottom as her surviving 
crew abandoned ship, including Miller. 

Miller was recognized by the Navy for his actions and awarded the Navy Cross. He 
was the first black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor 
awarded by the Navy at that time, after the Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished 
Service Medal. The Navy Cross now precedes the Navy Distinguished Service 
Medal. Miller’s acts were heavily publicized in the black press, making him an 
iconic emblem of the war for black Americans. Nearly two years after Pearl Harbor 
he was killed in action when his ship Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese submarine 
during the Battle of Makin. On January 19, 2020, the Navy announced that CVN-81 
would be named after him, a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier scheduled to be 
laid down in 2023 and launched in 2028.” 

One last thing… I saw this quote from Laurie Roberts, USA Today Network: “Before 
you slap burgers on the grill, remember Inchon and Heartbreak Ridge and Chosin 
Reservoir, where heroic Marines fought to their last breath against overwhelming 
odds. Remember Khe Sanh and Hamburger Hill. Remember Ramadi and Fallujah 
and Kandahar. It’s easy to forget the fallen, especially on a day when the sun is shining 
and we are so blessed with the tremendous good fortune to live in peace.” 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Where you’ll find “Sunrises and Sunflowers Speak Hope”
And “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter”
Take a look at both of these books, stuffed with hope and some really good recipes.
And there are Kindle treasures galore you can send straight to your Kindle,
Including the best adventure story ever: “A Treasure Map, A Drunken OwlAnd 47 Rattlers in a Bag”
Check me out, friends and neighbors! 

BEST USED BOOK SALE 

The Friends of the Sierra Madre Library announce that their June Best Used Book 
Sale will be held behind the library on Friday, June 3 (3:00-7:00) and Saturday, June 
4 (10:00-2:00). For the first time in two years, the basement will also be open with 
capacity limits of 7 shoppers at a time. Masks are STRONGLY encouraged. 

Featured in the basement will be some volumes of The Works of Charles Dickens, including 
Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, part of a 1906 Limited Edition set printed 
in England. 
The illustrations in the original books were recreated for this edition, many by Cruikshank 
and Phiz. Many of our “Table Books” will be also for sale, especially Sports, 
Militaria and Contemporary Culture. Look for 2022 Fiction and Non-Fiction on the 
table also. 

On the parking lot, we will have our Bargain Books for only $1.00 each and paperbacks 
5/$1.00. 
Many DVDs and CDs are only $1.00 and Audio Books $2.00. Children’s and teen titles 
sell for $.25-$1.00. Don’t forget Saturday only is the $5.00 Bag Sale on the parking lot. 
See you at the sale! 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com