SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) today honored Lakewood resident Dennis Lander as 2015 Veteran of the Year for the 63rd Assembly District.
SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) today honored Lakewood resident Dennis Lander as 2015 Veteran of the Year for the 63rd Assembly District.
“Dennis not only served our country heroically in Vietnam but has been a leading advocate for remembering the sacrifices of our fallen troops,” Rendon said. “Dennis is a treasure of our community and I am proud to honor him as Veteran of the Year.”
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Lander is author of "The Boys of Del Valle Park", a poem about the Lakewood park that is home to the city’s Veterans Memorial that honors the young men and women who gave their lives in the armed forces. The poem gained popularity when it was published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on Memorial Day 1988 and is now recited annually during the city of Lakewood’s Memorial Day ceremony.
A lifelong resident of Lakewood, Lander enlisted in the U.S. Air Force shortly after graduation from Lakewood High School in 1966. From 1967 to 1968, he served in Vietnam as a member of the Air Force Mobility Team, which flew C-130's and was responsible for the resupply of military units throughout South Vietnam.
After his discharge from the Air Force in 1969, Mr. Lander returned home to Lakewood. He first had a successful career in the moving industry, followed by a 22-year career in waste management.
Assemblyman Anthony Rendon is serving in his second term representing the 63rd Assembly District, which includes the cities and communities of Bell, Cudahy, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, North Long Beach, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, and South Gate. Rendon is chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce.
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