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Saturday, April 21, 2007 | 
It was a brisk 53 degrees in the pre-dawn hours of April 1, 1957 when Charles W. Casper's car slipped quietly along the darkened streets of Los Angeles.
Careful to avoid the early morning Yellow Car gliding along the 3'6" parallel steel ribbons of the Los Angeles Railway, Charlie - as his friends called him, could only wonder what lie ahead for him, and for Los Angeles.
It would be a full two weeks before the Brooklyn Dodgers won their season opener in Philadephia, and a month further still before the team would decide to make their home in Chavez Ravine, which loomed beyond the LAFD Drill Tower in Lincoln Heights, where Charlie quietly gathered with the newest firemen in Los Angeles.
Collectively, they could only wonder... before the Drill Master barked - and they snapped into formation - a half century ago.
On Sunday, April 22, 2007, representatives of Councilmember Greig Smith and Interim Fire Chief Douglas Barry were joined by civic leaders, neighborhood Firefighters and the Porter Ranch community in saluting the career of Captain Charles Casper, who recently retired after 50 continuous years of service to the citizens of Los Angeles.
The event not only honored a legendary Firefighter, but allowed the men and women of LAFD's 15th Battalion to meet those they proudly serve.
Please join us in thanking these local businesses for their generous support that made Sunday's event possible:
- Jack in the Box (Porter Ranch)
- McDonalds (in Wal-Mart Porter Ranch)
- Ralphs Market (Porter Ranch)
- S&S Construction
- Wal-Mart (Porter Ranch)
Thanks to all who joined us! We'll be posting more soon about the event (including photos) and offering a more detailed overview of the remarkable career of Captain Casper.
A Retirement Dinner for Captain Casper will be held:
Friday, May 4, 2007
Knollwood Country Club
12024 Balboa Blvd.
Granada Hills, CA
Social Hour: 6:00 PM – Dinner: 7:00 PM
Menu: Tri-tip & Chicken Marsala - Buffet
Price: $50.00 includes, tax, tip, & gift
Reservations: (818)368-3568
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department
2 comments:
Congratulations to the Fire Department, Local Police and Support personal for their handling of various emergencies.
What a great way to celebrate the 50 year career of a dedicated employee for the city of Los Angeles. It is rare today to see anyone commit to a career with the same employer for any extended period of time, especially a physically demanding and highly stressful job as a firefighter. Thank you, Charles, for all of your hard work!
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