VA employees exercise under auspices of autopsy firm
By Anna Marie Stolley, Staff Writer

 WESTWOOD- They call themselves "The Stiffs."

 They're 13 men and women, most of whom work at the West Los Angeles Veteran Affairs Medical Center. They ran and rode bikes together in the Los Angeles Marathon and last weekend's Jimmy Stewart Relays in Griffith Park. They train on Saturday mornings.

And they're sponsored by Vidal Herrera, owner of a private autopsy business on the VA grounds, hence their name.

"I picked the name because well, it had to be reflective of what I do," Herrera, 44. "We couldn't call it the 'cadavers; or the 'dead bodies' because that's too long of a name. But I deal with dead bodies, so . . ."

Herrera used to be an investigator at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, where he helped in the autopsies of the Hillside Strangler victims. But eight years ago, he started up his own business, performing autopsies and other death-related services, including private crime scene cleanup

"We address decomposition." he said

No question about it, the East Los Angeles resident is intent on promoting his business. His vanity plate is YSPOTUA, autopsy spelled backward. He made up team jackets with skeleton heads embroidered on them. And the team baton is a human bone.

But the team members, grateful for his sponsorship, don't mind.

"I joined for the support and team spirit," said Linda Wong, a medical technologist. "The name, its because of his business. It's funny. It's different.

The team has its roots in an friendship between Herrera and Mae Myart, 54, who counsels grieving families at the VA. Last year, Myart weighted 170 pounds. Herrera offered to help her lose weight by paying for her workout clothes and other exericse-related expenses.

Since then, other exercise buffs have joined with Myart.

"My family said, 'At your age. You're carrying on like a young sister,'" said Myart, who lost more than 100 pounds. "But it feels good to work out."

At least they didn't choose the moniker "Dead Men Walking."