Patriotism is honored

Laguna celebrated patriotism on Sunday with a brunch in the morning

for local heroes and a concert of American music in the afternoon.

The Patriots Day Parade Committee hosted the brunch at Tivoli

Terrace to introduce the 2004 honorees.

U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Terry G. Robling, the parade’s

grand marshal, was unable to attend.

Duty called, said parade committee President Charles Quilter,

himself a past Patriot of the Year.

“But he will be back for the parade,” Quilter said.

The 38th annual Patriots Day Parade will be held Saturday, March

6. The theme is “Freedom Is Not Free.” Robling, who is in charge of

training Marines for deployment in Iraq, served as the Commanding

General of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Iraq and in Kuwait during

Desert Storm. The 3rd was formerly headquartered at El Toro.

Quilter showed a photograph of Robling taken about two weeks into

the 2003 Iraqi campaign.

“If his eyes look red, its because he hadn’t slept for about 2 1/2

weeks,” Quilter said. “In Iraq, he had 15,000 marines and 400

aircraft under his command,” said Quilter, a retired U.S. Marine

fighter pilot, who was called back to duty to record the wing’s

contributions to the campaign. “Although not required, [Robling] flew

combat missions over Iraq in support of Marine ground forces.”

Robling has flown more than 4,000 hours in tactical jet aircraft.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Joint Meritorious

Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Commendation Medal

with Oak Leaf Cluster, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold

Star, the Joint Achievement Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation.

“When you meet him, just say, ‘Hi, General Guts,’” Quilter said.

The parades’ Patriot of the Year is always a person who has served

the national gallantly or meritoriously in time of war or national

emergency.

“Bill Schuster, a combat veteran of World War II, understands

better than most the theme of this year’s parade,” Quilter said.

Schuster was drafted into the army just after his 18th birthday

and given 16 weeks of training before shipping out to the Pacific

Theater. He arrived at a speck in the ocean that few had ever heard

of on Easter Sunday, 1945. It was Okinawa, and the landing was

unopposed.

Then, “all hell broke loose,” Schuster said.

Okinawa was the army’s bloodiest battle in the Pacific. Medics

were hard-hit, and Schuster was pressed into service with barely an

hour’s training.

“His actions in combat certainly saved lives, Quilter said.

Certainly at the risk of his own. He was awarded a Bronze star for

dashing out beyond the line of fire to retrieve a wounded officer.

After the war, Schuster worked briefly as an apprentice mechanic

for his uncle, Clarence Siemonsma, who owned the Buick-Pontiac

dealership in Laguna. He married Agnes Keller, whom he had first met

in grammar school. They will celebrate their 57th anniversary this

year. She sat beside him at the brunch.

The Schusters had seven children. Four of his sons work with him

in the family business.

Schuster opened his own garage in 1967 on South Coast Highway and

moved the business to Laguna Canyon in 1878.

“Bill Junior,” actually Bill III, attended the brunch Sunday with

his wife, Frances, and two Schuster grandchildren, Michelle and David

Beckwith.

The Citizen of the Year Award is presented annually to a person

who made a significant effort or contribution on behalf of the people

of Laguna Beach.

Doris Shields’ lifelong love affair with music has benefited

Laguna audiences and performers for decades past and will continue in

the future. Her legacy is Music in the Park.

Junior Citizens of the Year are selected by faculty and staff at

Laguna Beach High School based on significant accomplishments in

scholarship, leadership, athletics and service.

Madeline Bell’s accomplishments include a 4.5 grade-point average,

lifetime membership in the California Scholarship Society and serving

as vice president of the local chapter. She will attend Stanford

University in the fall with plans to become a pediatrician.

Bell is a champion cross-country runner and captain of this year’s

team, which she led to the state finals. She also races in the

grueling 800- and 1,600-meter events and captained the track team

last year. She mentors incoming ninth graders and is active in her

church.

She is the daughter of Margie and Charles Bell.

Taylor King is another stellar academic and athletic performer.

His grade point average is 4.3. He played varsity soccer for four

years and captained this year’s team. He has been a teacher’s aid for

the past two summers in algebra and geometry and is student body

treasurer.

King helped found a group that sends food and educational

materials to Africa, mentors incoming frosh and is active in his

church.

He is the son of Sann and Bryan King.

Thurston Middle School student Danny Allen, 12, wrote the winning

essay, which will be published in the Patriots Day Parade Program.

Allen, who has a cousin in Iraq, said the essay took him two or three

days to write.

He is the son of Don and Patty Allen.

Program cover artist Cherish Nicole Lim is a senior at Laguna

Beach High School. She studies art and wants to be a fashion

designer. She is the daughter of Leda Lim.

The parade costs about $12,000 a year, all of it raised by

donations, the brunch and advertising in the program.

“The theme for this year’s parade -- ‘Freedom Isn’t Free’ -- came

pretty easily to us,” Quilter said. “Since 9/11, we have sent our

young men and women into harm’s way. Some have paid the ultimate

price. We remember them and what it costs to go in and free a country

from a brutal regime.”