Notes From Candlelight Vigils: John Fortier's Peace Vigil, 10/19/12

Dear Reader, John Fortier is a Korean War veteran and a retired school teacher, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He has hosted a weekly peace vigil along Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Redondo Beach, California since just before President Bush launched the Iraq War in March, 2003. In this piece, John also references his dog Sparky, a cute little beige mutt that could touch the heart of anyone.

 


Hey, Dick ~

Today was unique in 'unusual guest(s)' category.

Two guys, one short and heavy set, the other tall and sturdy, crossed PCH to 'my corner'. They faced north but glanced my way once or twice so I gave them a smiling howdy, and ball rolling started.

It turns out that the short guy is Vince and he introduced the tall guy as Joe, and they're both from Italy. I told them I had gone to Catholic school in Monterey with Italian kids and had always wanted to learn Italian in high school, but had been 'guided' into Latin and French by a French parent. I said it seemed strange for him to have a nice Italian name like Vince, and his partner just gets 'Joe'. Vince is definitely better Englished, but 'Joe' knew enough to get my comment/joke about his name, and he interjects that his name is really Giovanni.

Now we're chums, and Vince asks if it would be ok to take a picture of my signs - 'War Is Not The Answer', 'Veterans For Peace', and 'AFGHANISTAN - 2,000 KILLED'- and me. We do that and then he asks about taking one of Giovanni and me together. To put my arm on his shoulders I have to reach almost straight up, but it works ok for them because they both seem very happy about it.

[Sparky gets my dinner if I don't get downstairs NOW, so I'll finish this later or on the morrow. I should have started earlier but I crashed for a couple of hours when I got home.]