- Sunday May 24th, 2020 :: 04:00 a.m. PDT
Advisory
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Pico Rivera Station Deputies Celebrate Birthdays of Two WWII Military Veterans Over Memoria
The information contained in this advisory is extended to accredited, subscribing media outlets only. Please do not forward this advisory or share details with non-media parties prior to the event. For questions or information, please contact the Sheriff’s Information Bureau at 213-229-1850. Thank you.
Prepared by:
Sheriff’s Information Bureau
211 West Temple Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-229-1850
Website LASD HQ: http://www.lasd.org
"If You See Something, Say Something"
L.A. Crime Stoppers: Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you may call “L.A. Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 MOBILE APP” on Google Play or the App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
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Alex Villanueva, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Pico Rivera Station Deputies Celebrate Birthdays of Two WWII Military Veterans Over Memoria 
Sheriff Villanueva celebrates two birthdays for WWII Veterans who are almost 100 years old, both best friends since 2nd grade from East LA this Memorial Weekend:
Who: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Army Veteran Randel (“Randy”) Zepeda Fernandez, Coast Guard Veteran Salvador (“Sal”) B. Guzman; Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station deputies; military veterans; and other community members.
What: WWII Veterans Randy and Sal met in second grade, both graduated from James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. These inseparable best friends joined the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor inspired them to serve their country. They both served from 1943 to 1946 during World War II, Randy in the Army, and Sal in the Coast Guard.
Randy fought in the battle of Bulge and helped liberate concentration camps. Sal enlisted and patrolled the Northern California coastline on horseback from 1943-1944. Both veterans reunited in the 1950s and bought their first homes on the same street in Montebello, raising their families together.
Three-quarters of a century later, Randy & Sal are still sharing life events, including their birthdays. But because of Covid-19, they haven’t been able to visit one another, but that’s not stopping Sheriff Villanueva & Pico Rivera Sheriff Station deputies throwing them a surprise drive-by birthday party! This Memorial Day weekend, Randy, we are celebrating Randy’s 96th birthday and Sal’s 97th!
When: Sunday, May 24, 2020, at 11:00 A.M.
Where: 10623 Bexley Drive
Whittier, CA 90606
What: WWII Veterans Randy and Sal met in second grade, both graduated from James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. These inseparable best friends joined the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor inspired them to serve their country. They both served from 1943 to 1946 during World War II, Randy in the Army, and Sal in the Coast Guard.
Randy fought in the battle of Bulge and helped liberate concentration camps. Sal enlisted and patrolled the Northern California coastline on horseback from 1943-1944. Both veterans reunited in the 1950s and bought their first homes on the same street in Montebello, raising their families together.
Three-quarters of a century later, Randy & Sal are still sharing life events, including their birthdays. But because of Covid-19, they haven’t been able to visit one another, but that’s not stopping Sheriff Villanueva & Pico Rivera Sheriff Station deputies throwing them a surprise drive-by birthday party! This Memorial Day weekend, Randy, we are celebrating Randy’s 96th birthday and Sal’s 97th!
When: Sunday, May 24, 2020, at 11:00 A.M.
Where: 10623 Bexley Drive
Whittier, CA 90606
The information contained in this advisory is extended to accredited, subscribing media outlets only. Please do not forward this advisory or share details with non-media parties prior to the event. For questions or information, please contact the Sheriff’s Information Bureau at 213-229-1850. Thank you.
Prepared by:
Sheriff’s Information Bureau
211 West Temple Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-229-1850
Website LASD HQ: http://www.lasd.org
"If You See Something, Say Something"
L.A. Crime Stoppers: Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you may call “L.A. Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 MOBILE APP” on Google Play or the App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
Text and email, register for LASD Nixle messages: To receive more detailed, up-to-date information via E-MAIL and/or TEXT directly from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), sign up for Nixle alerts at http://www.Nixle.com and register for “LASD- Headquarters Newsroom (SHB), Los Angeles County Sheriff” and your local LASD station area. To receive URGENT TEXT ALERTS ONLY, text your zip code to 888777. Standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your calling plan.
Alex Villanueva, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Address/Location
LASD - Los Angeles County Sheriffs Dept Information Bureau (SIB)
211 W Temple St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 213-229-1700