Angeles celebrates Treko de Mayo
By Fleet Capt. Dave Mason
HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. – Django knew he was in the right place.
The black pug with a red scarf and expressive eyes convinced USS Angeles members to feed him bits of chicken as he walked around the outdoor tables during our first Treko de Mayo Party.
Later he showed he loved to play with people. At one point, he ran circles around me!
That was all part of the fun at Candi and Neal Ogasawara’s party celebrating Cinco de Mayo weekend, “Star Trek” and Mexico City native Ricardo Montalban. Ten USS Angeles members gathered to watch the movie “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” on Candi and Neal’s 65-inch TV inside their Hacienda Heights home in the Los Angeles area.
And for the record, that’s Montalban’s real chest, as reported by director and uncredited writer Nicholas Meyer. Montalban really was as muscular as the villain he played, Khan.
Before the viewing, we were outside enjoying margaritas, hard seltzers, tacos, chicken, beans, rice, brownies, sodas and Costco’s chocolate cake with the writing “Happy Treko de Mayo!”
And Candi got into the spirit of the occasion, wearing a beautiful Cinco de Mayo dress. She also came up with the name, “Treko de Mayo,” to describe the party.
The party took place on May 4, so we also celebrated “May the Fourth Be With You.” Kristine Cherry came as a “Star Wars” Jedi, complete with a light saber. She and Dennis Cherry posed for a photo with “Baby Yoda,” aka Din Grogu from the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.”
Another “Star Wars” series, “The Acolyte,” is scheduled to premiere June 4 on Disney+. An extended trailer shown during the recent 25th anniversary screening of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” featured intense Jedi action.
The Treko de Mayo party wouldn’t be complete without discussions about “Star Trek.” Cassie Queen, the Angeles’ new Instagram coordinator, asked members about their favorite “Star Trek” movie, while her mother, Lili Queen, videotaped the interviews. Those will appear later on our Instagram page.
Cassie, a new member, has jumped right into USS Angeles activities. In recognition of her efforts, I presented her with a certificate promoting her to crewman from crewman recruit. Command Staff member Gloria Rodriguez, who was at the party, designed the certificate. Congratulations, Cassie!
Also attending the party were Lisa Sobien and Joe Queen, Cassie’s father.
More about our activities, including the Treko de Mayo Party, will appear in our award-winning newsletter, Angels Flight. To get the newsletter, click on Join Us.
