With a lone bugler playing taps in a frosty but beautiful November Saturday morning at Veteran’s Park in Redondo Beach and full color guard hoisting the Star Spangled banner and OP serve colors, the Operation S.E.R.V.E. team kicked off its first celebration in which it hopes to have many more to follow.
Operation Scuba Education & Rehabilitation for Veterans Empowerment (Operation S.E.R.V.E.) is a non-profit tax-exempt (501-C3) pending national organization chartered in the state of California. Operation S.E.R.V.E’ s purpose is to empower our returning military veterans by promoting physical healing, uplifting lives and providing a lifelong level of success. Primary goal of Operation S.E.R.V.E. is to improve the lives of veterans with disabilities through the sport of scuba diving.
Festivities included a military flyover by the United States Coast Guard, a dive team from the elite LAPD dive unit, a delicious lunch served by Mexican Chipotle Grill, A huge raffle with numerous prizes donated graciously by various dive boats and dive shops in Southern California, a visit and a written proclamation from Mike Gin mayor of Redondo Beach and a finally a phone call of congratulations from Senator Diane Feinstein of California.
Sponsors of the event included California Diving News, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Smart Gear USA, Special Forces Gear, Redondo Dive ‘N Surf, Pacific Wilderness, the Spectre dive boat, the Magician dive boat, Competitive Development & Manufacturing Dive Platform, Sea D’ Sea dive shop, the Sundiver dive boat, Truth Aquatic boats, Eco Dive Center, the Sand Dollar dive boat, Hollywood Divers, and the USC Business Foundation.
For more information on Operation S.E.R.V.E., visit their website at www.operation-serve.org.
