Veterans Administration

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” — President John F. Kennedy

It was my great honor to contribute to the 5th Marines Vietnam Memorial.

Vietnam War veteran Bill Sandlin, USMC, ret., presents 5th Marines Challenge Coin to Irvine Councilmember Melissa Fox.

The 5th Marines Vietnam Memorial is dedicated to planning, building, installing, and dedicating a monument at Camp Pendleton that will remember and honor the combat veterans of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division (1/5/1), who served during the Vietnam War, and, in particular, the 2,706 U.S.Marines and Sailors of the 5th Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Because of the generous donations of so many people, the manufacturing of the 6 black paneled granite has begun, and we are on track for the Dedication Ceremony on Memorial Day 2018. But we still have funds to raise to make the Memorial a reality.

The 5th Marine Regiment has a rich and distinguished history. Its reputation as the Marine Corps’ most decorated infantry regiment has been seared in the crucible of many wars and crises since its establishment in 1917, from the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I, the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II, the Battle of Inchon in Korea, the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq, and the Battle of Helmand Province in Afghanistan. Today, the 5th Marines are involved in the battle against ISIS.

I have a personal connection to the 5th Marines. Several of my relatives served in the 5th Marines, including my cousin, PFC Irwin Handler, who was killed in action in Korea during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

Every American owes a debt to the 5th Marines, for their courage and service to this nation.

This Memorial is about the sacrifice made by the 5th Marines who courageously fought in Vietnam because our nation asked. It honors their courage, commitment to duty, and commitment to country, and it says that we will never forget them.

You can watch a video of the proposed Memorial here,

You can make a contribution here.

If you have the means, please join me in contributing to this very worthy cause of honoring the 2,706 U.S.Marines and Sailors of the 5th Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War.

As the daughter of a combat veteran, I know the tremendous value of veterans’ service, their core principles of honor, courage, and commitment, and their needs after returning from deployment.

Our part of the nation is especially rich in military veterans – which makes sense given both our many nearby military installations, such as Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and our past military heritage, including MCAS El Toro (now the Orange County Great Park), MCAS Tustin (now The District in Tustin and a proposed regional park), and the Santa Ana Army Air Base (now the Orange County Fairgrounds).

More than two million veterans live in California – more than in any other state. Southern California is also home to more young veterans than anywhere else in the nation. Nearly 7,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans live in Orange County, the 25th most in any U.S. county, while our neighboring counties to the South (San Diego), North (Los Angeles), and East (San Bernardino) are numbers one, two, and 15.

But despite the fact that young veterans often enter the workforce with far more skills and experience than their civilian peers, new veteran unemployment is significantly higher than the overall rate and the unemployment rate for non-veterans. For new veterans aged 18-24, the unemployment rate averaged 20.4% in 2012, more than five percentage points higher than the average among non-veterans aged 18-24. These young veterans need – and deserve – more of our help with employment, education, health care, and other services.

Here in Irvine, we honor and provide support to our veterans through the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, which provides charitable and educational activities and support for the benefit and welfare of the marines and their families assigned to Camp Pendleton, with special emphasis on the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines (known as the “2/11 Marines”). The Committee solicits private and public donations of cash, food, beverages, and new and used material goods to help underwrite the cost of sponsoring participants. The Committee also holds special events throughout the year in addition to an ongoing recycling program which donates the proceeds from recyclables to support 2/11 Marines and their families and a letter writing and care package project. Volunteers are welcome. Please contact Irvine211@yahoo.com for more information.

Irvine student veterans are served by the Irvine Valley College Veterans Service Center, (949-451-5296), located in Room SSC 120, IVC Student Services Center and UCI Veteran Services, (949-824-3500), located in G304 UCI Student Center.

Irvine Valley College Veterans Service Center is dedicated to helping veterans and their families access the wide range of education benefits offered by the V.A., well as answering any questions veteran students or dependents may have concerning their educational benefits, including California’s Troops to College program of the California State University.

UCI Veterans Services provides veterans, reservists, active-duty members and dependents assistance in obtaining the educational benefits to which they are entitled. The office is responsible for submitting entitlement requests for new and continuing students to the V.A., answering any questions veteran students or dependents may have concerning their educational benefits and providing resources and programs to assist veterans in navigating their transition to civilian and student life.

A local organization dedicated to helping veterans that I especially recommend is Veterans First, the only nonprofit 501c (3) community-based agency in Orange County with the purpose of providing services exclusively to homeless veterans and their families. Veterans First provides an all-inclusive effort that includes housing and nutritional meals, case management, substance abuse aftercare, life skills and transportation, employment assessment, job training and job placement assistance.

Please join me in honoring our veterans on this Veterans Day – and every day – by helping those who have defended us.

Thank you for your service, Irvine veterans. Now it is time for us to be there for you.