3 days Ago
Guardians SCV hosted its fourth annual Patriot Day car show and free breakfast to remember 9/11 on Saturday morning in the parking lot of Higher Vision Church in Valencia. During a remembrance and reflection ceremony, Tim Traurig, Guardians SCV founder and president, spoke to those in attendance, along with Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, city of Santa Clarita Councilman Jason Gibbs and state Assembly candidate Patrick Lee Gipson, who all voiced the importance of never forgetting 9/11.
According to Traurig, this year’s event was the best turnout the organization has had to date. He spoke about why Americans must remember what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked America on its own soil and first responders risked their lives to save others.
“As a country, we said we’d never forget,” he said in an interview during the event. “I think it’s important — especially in our community of Santa Clarita, where we have so many fire, police and military first responders that live out here — that we as a community remember that we have committed to that. It’s important to keep those memories alive, to remember the sacrifices that have been made in our country.
” Guardians SCV is a group of military veterans and first responders who support each other. Many came out to recognize those who sacrificed their lives for others 23 years ago and who still do so to this day. In his speech to the crowd on Saturday, Garcia talked about that day back in 2001 when America was under attack.
“I remember where I was,” he said to the crowd. “I was getting ready to go fly — learn how to fly the F-18 Super Hornet — and ultimately go serve over Iraq in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. By the way, I still fit in my flight suit now.
That was one of my goals for the year. I’m back to that, so. But one of our instructors walked into the room and said, ‘Guys, you need to stop briefing.
Something’s happening.’ And we watched what unfolded on the TV.” Garcia talked about serving in uniform in those days, adding that, following the events of 9/11, large numbers of Americans were inspired to join the military.
“We have roughly 3 million veterans now in this global war on terror,” Garcia said. “The kids that came in when they were 18 years old, you know, are now in their mid 40s, and the more senior-enlisted back then, and the senior officers back then are now in their late 60s, if you can believe that. And they’re veterans of the global war on terror.
So, this spans multiple generations.” Following Garcia’s speech, Traurig added that he feels it’s his duty to remind his fellow Americans and fellow citizens of the Santa Clarita Valley, which has been his home since the 1980s, that those selfless acts that Garcia spoke about are what this country is about. “I hope,” Traurig said, “that that becomes contagious for others to go, ‘Hey, you know what? There are other people around in our community and our country that give so much to keep us a free nation, to protect us, to be there for us when we struggle or go through things, whether it’s in our community, whether it’s overseas, whatever it is, and we need to appreciate that.
’ And maybe they’d see the passion, too, and want to join fire, law, military, and become a contributor.” Schiavo admired the work Traurig and the Guardians are doing for the community. “Events like this one here are really, really important for us to keep that memory alive,” she said in an interview, “to make sure that we honor those who were lost, and make sure we’re prepared for anything like that in the future.
” She added that it’s also crucial to support first responders and those in the military who have faced the kind of adversity that so many experienced during 9/11 and in the aftermath overseas. The health impacts caused shouldn’t go without action. “My dad has fought cancer three times because he was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam,” Schiavo said.
“And then our law enforcement, fire, military — they face really tragic, horrific scenes every day. So, it’s really beautiful that Tim has been able to bring together a group of people to really support each other and help them heal from that.” Attendees of the Patriot Day event on Saturday could take part in free breakfast and a car show, which included classic cars, muscle cars, 4X4s, antique vehicles and other vehicles from fire and law departments and the military.
The Condor Squadron, made up of World War II North American AT-6 airplanes, did a flyover mid-morning, as did the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department rescue chopper. For more information about Guardians SCV, go to GuardiansSCV.org .
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