In Memoriam Archives - Gold Coast Veterans Foundation

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August 21, 2021

Retired Judge Who Created Veterans Court Dies

Judge Colleen Toy White Ventura County Veterans Court

The retired Ventura County Superior Court judge who started several specialty court programs for veterans, the mentally ill and others died this month. Judge Colleen Toy White died Aug. 10 amid her second battle with cancer. She was 77, said Arthur Bliss, her husband of 20 years. Over the past year and a half, White had been […]

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February 1, 2021

VC Star Veterans Column: Ventura County Veterans Lose Friend, But Legacy Still Burns

By Alexander G. Deraney, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) and GCVF “Mobile Veteran Outreach” Team Member President Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, implored the American people to increase their devotion to the cause for which our fallen servicemen gave the last full measure of devotion. Whether a member of our armed forces served in […]

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January 29, 2021

Woodburn: Kindness by and for Two Military Vets

By Woody Woodburn, VC Star Columnist Having a column is a lot like owning a pickup truck — friends are constantly asking for help moving a couch or bulky dresser, or suggesting a topic they “just know” will be moving to readers. My aging back does not miss my Datsun pickup. As for pitched column […]

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September 8, 2020

Veterans: A Gold Star for Mom Shows a Painful Sacrifice

By Donna Lockwood, GCVF “Mobile Veteran Outreach” Support Specialist and Daughter of a Korean War Combat Veteran Kathryn Steffen, mother of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Diego Pongo of Simi Valley, received this memorial necklace on Mother’s Day. This necklace contains a Gold Star, topped with a glass purple bead with Diego’s portrait etched inside. Sgt. Pongo […]

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August 3, 2020

Veterans Column: Purple Heart Day for a Sacred Military Decoration

By Alexander G. Deraney, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) and GCVF “Mobile Veteran Outreach” Team Member During this unprecedented time of unrest, defined by a deadly and growing pandemic, powerful and pervasive social unrest, an uncertain economy and sharp political divisions, Americans could be excused for being distracted from the Nation’s observation of Purple Heart […]

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May 22, 2020

VA National Cemeteries to Commemorate Memorial Day

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced today it will commemorate Memorial Day this year with solemn wreath laying ceremonies. Another offering is a new online memorial feature allowing the public to pay tribute to Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries across the country. “This year, by necessity, will be different […]

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May 5, 2020

Veterans Column: Local Veterans of Foreign Wars Reflect on Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2020; Memorial Day; Moorpark Field of Valor, Moorpark Morning Rotary Club, Field of Valor Moorpark

Author: Vince Gangi, U.S. Air Force veteran and GCVF volunteer. In 1999, Congress selected May as Military Appreciation Month. Each year, the president issues a proclamation for Americans to take time to participate in an event to honor the men, women and families of the armed services past and present. May was chosen because of the […]

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March 26, 2020

Veterans Can Attend Virtual Events for National Vietnam War Veterans Day

National Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29. Organizers canceled or postponed many events to slow the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing. Veterans are encouraged to stay connected and participate in virtual events. Here’s a list of some of those events. On VA Social Media For Veterans with a Facebook account, they can download […]

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March 11, 2020

Simi Valley Marine Diego Pongo Killed in Iraq Strike on ISIS Bastion

A highly decorated Simi Valley Marine known for his “larger-than-life” personality was killed during a mission against an Islamic State stronghold in north central Iraq, the Defense Department said Tuesday. Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo, a critical-skills operator from Simi Valley, and Capt. Moises A. Navas, a special operations officer from Germantown, Maryland, suffered fatal […]

December 7, 2018

Oldest US Military Survivor of Pearl Harbor Dies at Age 106

Ray Chavez, 106 and the oldest U.S. military veteran survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor 77 years ago, has died. A resident of Poway, Calif., Chavez died in his sleep Wednesday. He had been suffering from pneumonia, said his daughter, Kathleen Chavez, according to Associated Press and San Francisco Chronicle reports. Daniel Martinez, chief […]