ARMY FAMILY—United States Army Sgt. George Kalemkarian and his wife, Army Lt. Bernice Kalemkarian, are presented a plaque by Councilmember Barbra Williamson at Monday’s “A Salute to Arms” event at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Simi Valley. The Kalemkarians were named 2010 Veterans of the Year. At left are photos of the couple taken during their military service. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers Sal Ayala is north of 80 and a Korean War vet.

However, all the flips of the calendar and ribbons on the chest have never diminished his willingness or desire to respect his elders.

So when the time came for the commander of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 55 to make his nomination for the 2010 Simi Valley Veteran of the Year, the decision to turn his attention toward his military predecessors was a no-brainer.

“My opinion and life philosophy, since I’ve been commander, is to get the World War II veterans recognized,” Ayala said.

And offering up a two-forone deal this spring? Who could resist?

Certainly not fellow Simi Valley area veterans groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Marine League and the American Legion, who backed Ayala’s bid to recognize the husband-and-wife team of George and Bernice Kalemkarian at what’s become an annual Simi Valley celebration.

The Kalemkarians took center stage this Memorial Day at the annual “A Salute to Arms” veterans luncheon at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sinaloa Road (see related story on page 15).

“They thought it would be real nice to have husband and wife veterans honored at the same time,” said George Kalemkarian, 84, a Fresno native whom the U.S. Army drafted into action in 1944 and spent exactly two years and 24 days in uniform, rising to the rank of sergeant while serving in the Pacific Theater.

“They thought that would be a cute little twist.”

The story of how the Kalemkarians found each other back in 1956—he was struggling to sell his Canoga Park home while awaiting a transfer to a new job in Missouri, eventually finding a real estate broker who sealed the deal and stole his heart—certainly fits the cute story line to a T.

However, it’s the tales from their time in uniform that illustrate why their selection as this year’s featured vets proved to be an easy choice.

The more compelling back story may belong to Bernice, 87, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., who, upon completion of nursing school and a year of employment as an R.N., enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1944.

“Everyone went in the service. It was patriotic. You go,” said Bernice, who completed basic training in Atlantic City, N.J., before being sent to Camp Bowie in Brownswood, Texas, and rising to the rank of first lieutenant

PATRIOTIC PAIR—George, a native of California’s Central Valley, and Bernice, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., served in the Army during World War II. George was part of the occupying forces in Japan. Bernice, an Army nurse, took care of sick and injured soldiers. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers “That was like ‘M*A*S*H.’ We were learning to be MASH people, caring for the wounded.”

However, Bernice soon found herself on the opposite end of the nurse-patient relationship.

Following a visit to Tinker Field in Oklahoma City in April 1945, a cargo plane carrying her back to Texas crashed on takeoff, bursting into flames and killing five passengers. Bernice, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the wreckage and found in a nearby field with serious injuries.

After a full year in the hospital she returned to limited duty for six months before being discharged in 1947.

George also spent a year in the “real world” prior to receiving his draft letter, having asked for an educational deferment so he could begin his college education at hometown Fresno State University.

Instead, the Army provided an agricultural deferment, eventually calling him into action at Camp Wolters, Texas, in October 1944 following the conclusion of the Central Valley’s annual grape harvest.

“The first thing they asked us was whether anybody had ROTC or cadet training. I was still naïve at the time,” said George with a laugh. “I raised my hand, and they said, ‘OK, you’re the squad sergeant.’”

From there he soon made voyage across the Pacific via the U.S.S. General Grant to the Philippines, where he was assigned to a heavy weapons company as part of the decimated 32nd Division patrolling Luzon Island.

In September 1945 he was reassigned to a new division as a part of the U.S. occup ying forces in Japan, concluding his service with a discharge in November 1947.

Then it was back to California, first for a job at Point Mugu, then with Rocketdyne in Simi Valley.

Along the way came his March 1957 marriage to Bernice, the 1968 purchase of their current home on Graceland Avenue in Simi Valley, six c.hildren—some with military backgrounds of their own—and now, the recognition by their fellow local service men for jobs welldone more than 60 years ago.

“God’s been good to us,” said Bernice, repeating it two more times for effect. “God has been good to us. God has been good to us.”