A salute to war veterans

Photos by BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers

HONORING PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS-- Thousand Oaks resident Bill Hutton, left, served in the Marine Corps from 1965 to '69. He's addressing the audience at the Yellow Ribbon America-sponsored tribute to Purple Heart recipients at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Hutton, also a retired detective sergeant with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, leads the Military Order for the Purple Heart and served in Vietnam. While in the Marine Corps, he was awarded three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star. Vicki Melia of T.O., below, comforts Nicholas Johnson, 4. Melia's son, Lance Cpl. Anthony Melia, was killed in the Iraq War earlier this year. Nicholas was Anthony's favorite nephew. The event took place last Saturday.