Angelenos gather at Memorial Day tributes and ceremonies throughout Los Angeles County
After two years of cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Memorial Day tributes and ceremonies made their triumphant return on Monday.
Thousands of Angelenos gathered at various venues throughout Los Angeles County to pay homage to fallen American heroes who lost their lives while serving their country.
Events began as early as 5:45 a.m. in Long Beach, where Honor Our Fallen organized a name-reading service to honor the more than 7,000 fallen military members since 9/11/2001. Active-duty military members, veterans, law enforcement and first responders joined the ceremony to read names as the day continued.
in Tustin at 9 a.m., City Council Members and the city's Parks and Recreation Department joined to host their Memorial Day Remembrance event at Veterans Sports Park to honor Killed in Action and Missing in Action service members and their families. The ceremony featured U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran Bobby McDonald and an appearance by the 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry Association-Buffalo Soldiers.
"On Memorial Day we will gather as a community to remember, honor, and pay gratitude to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country," said Tustin Mayor Austin Lumbard. "It is important to not only recognize their sacrifice, but we must also represent their devotion to duty and ensure they will never be forgotten."
In Mission Hills, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez led a Memorial Day Mass at San Fernando Mission Cemetery and Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary to honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States military. The service was held outdoors and was live-streamed to those unable to attend in person.
Memorial Day Mass also saw its return to the Diocese of Orange at Cathedral Memorial Gardens in Garden Grove at 10 a.m., which preceded a special prayer service led by Revered Christopher Smith, and included a 21-gun salute, bagpipe tributes, the release of 100 doves and a flag procession by United States Marines.
At 10 a.m., a Memorial Day Ceremony was held at Los Angeles National Ceremony to honor "veterans interred at the facility and other fallen members of the armed services." On Saturday, thousands of Boy and Girl Scouts gathered at the cemetery to place flags at each of the nearly 9,000 gravesites at the cemetery.
For the 107th time, the Memorial Day remembrance in Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills was celebrated in Glendale. The virtually-held event to "honor the sacrifices and strength of the members of the United States military" was accompanied by patriotic music, a gun salute, a bagpipe performance and color guard.
At the Cinco Puntos Mexican American All Wars Memorial in Boyle Heights, prior to a Memorial Day Ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m., gatherers protested a proposal to remove the memorial, which they stated was "consecrated to veterans in 1947 as a tribute to our Mexican-American heroes and should not be tampered with."
City Councilman Kevin de Leon issued a public statement on the proposal via Instagram, calling for the site's improvement to give "our veterans the recognition and admiration they earned," a stark contrast to the message demonstrators were looking to send on Monday.
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard also planned to speak at the ceremony, her final Memorial Day address ahead of her retirement at the end of her term.
The 11 a.m. ceremony saw Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1013, joined by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago for their 75th annual Memorial Day celebration.
A public Memorial Day ceremony was held at the Riverside National Ceremony amphitheater at 11 a.m., which included a wreath-laying presentation, speeches by both a Martin Luther King Jr. High School student and teacher, as well as performances by a local band.
In Whittier, 100 flags were displayed to symbolize 100 years of Memorial Day observances at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuaries.
"For the past 100 years, Rose Hills has honored the brave soldiers who gave their lives to serve and protect our nation," said Rose Hills President and CEO Patrick Monroe.
Congress members Adam Schiff and Nanette Diaz Barragán attended various ceremonies, as Barragán took part at the Wilmington Historical Cemetery Memorial Day Event, which began at 11 a.m. to remember and honor "those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can have the freedom we experience every day."
Schiff on the other hand, planned to attend a series of events beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Glendale and Montrose Memorial Day Ceremony at the Montrose Vietnam War Memorial before heading to take part in the La Cañada Flintridge Fiesta Days Parade at 10:30 a.m. He then spoke at the McCambridge Park War Memorial ceremony in Burbank held at 11 a.m.
At 3 p.m., residents throughout the Southland planned to join the millions of Americans the nationwide "CBS Taps Across America" planned at 3 p.m. in their local time to play "Taps," the 24-note military tribute. Attendees at Los Angeles Fleet Week will be treated to a live performance of the tribute, played by a military band's bugler.
