Many of Chapter 53’s activities are aimed at increasing the visibility of veterans and veterans’ issues. The idea is to honor those who have served and to keep issues such as homelessness and health care in the mind of the public.

To this end, Chapter 53—and Yamamoto in particular—were prime movers in getting a stretch of the heavily trafficked California State Route 1 running through L.A. County designated as the Los Angeles County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. In 2001 Assemblyman George Nakano (D-Torrance) introduced legislation at the request of Chapter 53 resulting in the erection of signposts to mark the Memorial Highway from Long Beach to Malibu.

“It’s for the Vietnam veterans to have recognition that people would see every day as they drive down that highway,” said Yamamoto, who served as an Army psychology-social work specialist in 1966-68, “especially the millions of people driving down that highway through Los Angeles County.”

Also in the cause of keeping Vietnam vets in public view while attracting new chapter members, Chapter 53 enters a service vehicle in the annual City of Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade, now in its 58th consecutive year.

“Torrance is a very patriotic city,” noted Crecy, who served in Vietnam with the 15th Engineer Battalion in the 9th Infantry Division in 1968. “They’re one of the two or three cities in the United States that has always had an Armed Forces Day Parade.”

Chapter 53 usually borrows a decommissioned military vehicle for the parade, which helps draw attention to its message. “It’s a recognition of Vietnam veterans and other war veterans,” Yamamoto said. “It helps stimulate that recognition among our community members, and we have maybe 50,000 people attend the parade.”

Chapter 53 also helps with the Torrance Police Department’s breakfast on the morning of the parade and operates a booth displaying military memorabilia. The chapter’s recently formed color guard, which participates in area military and veterans events, also keeps VVA in the public eye.

“The best we can do is present a positive side of Vietnam veterans,” said Crecy, a member of the color guard. “We’re not large enough or wealthy enough to provide direct programs, but we can reallocate some of our funds into the community.” Chapter 53 donates to Packages for Patriots, American Gold Star Mothers, the National Veterans Foundation, the Gary Sinise Foundation, USO, Operation Gratitude, the Fisher House Foundation, and area high school ROTC battalions.

Chapter 53 also hums with many less visible endeavors, notably advocacy to initiate or influence legislation at many levels of government. Yamamoto has had a long and very active advocacy relationship with Ted Lieu, a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California’s 33rd Congressional District.

“He had supported our chapter and local veterans as a member of the City Council for Torrance,” Yamamoto said. “He is supporting not only our chapter, but our state council. In 2008, for the twentieth anniversary celebration at the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento, we were able to get him to sponsor that bill.” In March Rep. Lieu was nominated by Chapter 53 for Honorary Life Membership.

Crecy pushed for the return of the National Defense Service Medal, which originally had been introduced under President Eisenhower as a “blanket campaign medal. It came to my attention in 1999 that our military was not receiving this medal,” he said, upset at the memory of service members killed in training accidents before even arriving in combat zones. “So the thought was, ‘Hey, at least have something for their family.’ ” 

Crecy was able, with the assistance of then-Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), to have legislation passed to reinstate the awarding of that medal. “We’re now getting involved with local municipalities to where we have members on several local commissions,” Yamamoto said. “It’s crucial that we keep that contact with them, and if they have veterans in their city councils, sign ’em up as members.

“Advocacy is huge,” he concluded. “I have contacted about six local House members in the Los Angeles area to help me with support on bills that we want passed in Congress.”