Manuel L. Quezon Post 603 installs new officers

Vallejo, CA

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/lifestyle/20150624/vallejo-ae-source-al...

Vallejo A&E Source: Always Something To Celebrate

From left, the 2015-2016 officers include: Asst. Sergeant at Arms Manuel Acebedo, Sgt. at Arms Joselito Lagman, Historian Nestor Aliga, Member Erlando Yambao, Commander Lee Horton, 2nd Vice Cmdr Robert Asercion, Finance Officer Phillip Johnson, 1st Vice Cmdr. Ken Spingola, Chaplain Paul del Rosario, Adjutant Jimmy Jianoran and Service officer Warlito Moises. Not pictured are members Eli Cabugao, Deitdre Holtz and Larry Trusclair. COURTESY PHOTO
The historic American Legion Manuel L. Quezon Post 603 installed its newly elected officers on Thursday, June 18, at the Vallejo Veterans Memorial Building, 420 Admiral Callaghan Lane in Vallejo. Incoming Commander Lee Horton, a Vallejo Police Dept. captain with deep ties to Filipino-Americans, thanked outgoing Cmdr. Paul del Rosario, Historian Nestor Aliga and all the Legionnaires for honoring 1,200 war veterans since 2011 and for coordinating the annual Vallejo Police and Fire ceremony during National Police Week, and he vowed to continue the trailblazing work of Post 603. Chartered on March 31, 1945, Post 603 honored 200 World War II veterans in 2011-2012, 400 Korean War veterans in 2013-2014, and 600 Vietnam War veterans in 2014-2015, hosted the 2014 Memorial Day ceremony featuring Vallejo’s home-grown U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Nick Tooliatos, and initiated the legislation to make Vallejo America’s first Purple Heart City-School District-Recreation District. In 2015, Post 603 honored Montford Point Marines aboard the U.S. naval ship Montford Point, fallen Vallejo fire and police officers and Purple Heart Medal recipients, and have recently raised funds and installed “Purple Heart Trail” signs on the I-80 Carquinez Bridge and the I-80 Hunter Hill Rest Area. Post 603’s upcoming projects include assisting the Vallejo Naval and Historic Museum in their “War Comes Home” exhibit from July 7 to Aug. 15, working with State Sen. Lois Wolk and Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla in renaming the I-80 rest area at Hunter Hill to Purple Heart Trail and designating I-780 as “Women’s Purple Heart Highway” in collaboration with the City of Benicia, and assisting the Filipino veterans Recognition and Education Project, to honor World War II veterans who fought in the Philippine Theater of Operations with U.S. Congressional Gold Medals. In the spring of 2016, Post 603 will team up with the other seven Vallejo Veterans Building Council organizations, Rebuilding Together Solano County, the consulate generals of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the National Desert Storm War Memorial to honor Operation Desert Storm veterans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the First Gulf War Victory. If you received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, live or work in Vallejo, and would like to be honored, please submit your own name, address and phone to Nestor.Aliga@Comcast.Net by January 31, 2016. Contact: Nestor Aliga, 707-853-0062, 120 Sheila Court, Vallejo, CA 94591.

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