Residents place flags to salute law officers, firefighters
Small flags honor law officers, firefighters and victims of the Dec. 2 terrorist attack.
/ STAFF WRITER
When it came time to plan this year’s Flags for the Fallen ceremony, it seemed natural to include tributes to the 14 people killed in the Dec. 2 terrorist attack in San Bernardino.
“Something of that magnitude has never happened in the Inland area,” said Dani Medrano, president of the Eastvale-based Wives of Law Enforcement and Firefighters, which sponsored Friday’s event. “It was horrific.
“We need to support those families,” Medrano said. “And we need to honor the victims who were Inland Empire residents.”
And so it was that, in addition to the 131 American flags honoring law enforcement officers and 86 flags honoring firefighters who died in 2015, 14 flags with small black ribbons and bearing the names of the San Bernardino victims were placed on the front lawn of Eastvale Fire Station 27.
Flags also memorialized four Eastvale residents: Pat Libertone, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant who died in 2014; Al Rivera, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigator who died in 2014; Gilbert Cortez, a California Department of Corrections sergeant killed in a 2013 traffic accident along with his K-9 partner, Mattie; and Nora Perez, a Los Angeles County Probation Department officer who died last month from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The flags honoring law officers had blue ribbons. Those honoring firefighters had red ribbons.
Friday’s ceremony came on the eve of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, organized by Concerns of Police Survivors along with other law enforcement organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police.
It was the second flag ceremony in Eastvale, and Medrano said it would be an annual event.
The ceremony drew more than 100 people, including state Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, to the sidewalk in front of the Hamner Avenue fire station.
“I just wanted to show my support and respect for these fine folks who protect us and keep us out of harm’s way,” Roth said as he stood in line, waiting to get a flag. “This is the least I can do.”
Eastvale resident Brian Smith, a vice investigator with the Los Angeles Police Department, and his wife, Tonya, a member of the wives group, came with their 1-year-old son, Bentley.
The Smiths said they came to support officers and firefighters and those who died Dec. 2.
“What happened was a tragedy,” Brian Smith said.
Vivian Rivera, daughters Debra and Angela, and 6-year-old grandson Raiden placed a flag honoring Al Rivera.
Vivian Rivera said her husband served 30 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department before his death.
“I’m proud of his contributions,” she said.
The event began with a welcome by Medrano and Eastvale Mayor Ike Bootsma. Eastvale Police Chief Jason Horton, Corona Fire Department Chief David Duffy and Downey police Officer Ralph Diaz also spoke.
Then, as bagpipes played mournfully, guests quietly filed past Fire Station 27 and placed American flags on the front lawn.