Petaluma schools to represent state in D.C.

<p>PETALUMA - Under the gazes of sunlit, stained-glass saints, St. Vincent de Paul High School's choir gave a sampling Sunday afternoon of what it will sing next weekend in Washington for the dedication of the World War II Memorial.</p><p>Concertgoers, family and boosters gathered in St. Vincent de Paul Church for the performance, which included a color guard from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1929, bagpipers and a candlelit choir procession to honor the 84 servicemen from Petaluma who died in World World II.</p><p>The musical selections, reflecting America's heritage and history, included "John Henry"; Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!" set to music; "Gospel Train" and "Anthem of Peace," concluding with a moving rendition of "God Bless America."</p><p>"This is what we've been working toward for so long. All the practice, all the fund raising, the recording of the CD at Skywalker Ranch, it all paved the way for our trip to Washington," said Diane Strohmeyer, choir director at St. Vincent de Paul. "It's been a real journey, and we haven't even left yet!"</p><p>Ronald L. Lucas, past national president of the Bay Area Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, drove up from Marin to see his grandson, class valedictorian Christopher Dotson, sing. The family will be sending him off to Harvard in the fall.</p><p>"It's certainly been a challenging year for Christopher. But all his hard work is paying off," said his mother, Monica Dotson.</p><p>Two decades in the making and costing $174 million, the new war memorial sits between the Washington and Lincoln monuments in Washington. Dedication is set for Saturday. On Sunday, St. Vincent de Paul's choir will be at George Washington's church, Christ Church in Mount Vernon, Va.</p><p>Also traveling to Washington for the dedication is Petaluma High School's marching band and color guard, which will represent California by marching down Constitution Avenue on Memorial Day, along with school bands from the other states.</p><p>The Petaluma High students, including the school's own choir members, will wear badges with the names of the 500-plus veterans, a roster of remembrance generated through donations to honor grandfathers, uncles or other loved ones.</p><p>"I don't know where we're going to pin all those badges, but we'll figure it out," said Jannell Routley, president of the Petaluma High School music boosters. "The kids have been watching WWII movies and reading letters from families who have sent in donations for badges. They are really excited."</p><p>Both Petaluma and St. Vincent de Paul have busy schedules filled with sightseeing, performances and participation in solemn ceremonies. Both will attend a special wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The students and chaperones from Petaluma will be among an anticipated 1 million or more Washington visitors next weekend.</p><p>According to government records, 16.1 million armed forces personnel served in World War II, and about 292,000 were killed in battle and 114,000 more in other incidents.</p><p>Many of the students at Sunday's performance have only recently learned of the price Petaluma paid during World War II. The city's casualties accounted for one-third of Sonoma County's total losses during the war.</p><p>Among them were Army Air Force 1st Lt. Albert Lanker, an F-5 Lightning pilot who pioneered ultra-low-level photography that was used to map the Normandy invasion. He was shot down the day after Christmas 1944 over Belgium trying to deliver photos crucial to the Battle of the Bulge. Several members of his family still live in Petaluma.</p><p>In April 1945, Marine Capt. Dante Benedetti was declared missing in action. His name is carved on the Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. His portrait hangs in the office of nephew Dan Benedetti, president of Clover-Stornetta Farms. Dante's brother, Gene, Dan's father, is taking his grandson to the war memorial's dedication.</p><p>For Evelyn McDonald of Petaluma, the concert was truly meaningful. Her husband Stanley's name will be included on a plaque honoring veterans at the St. Vincent de Paul campus.</p><p>"When this came up, you know, I always thought there was a big memorial in D.C. already. My husband served in Italy and Africa. He won medals. Today I'm thinking about him so much," said McDonald, whose husband died 19 years ago.</p>