Across LA County, Memorial Day events honor service members who died for their country

With the tradition Fleet Week honors concluding the day aboard the Battleship Iowa off San Pedro, Monday’s Memorial Day events in Los Angeles County included the unveiling of new memorial plates honoring fallen service members in Long Beach, along with myriad parades, religious ceremonies and ceremonies at cemeteries, churches and parks.

Fleet Week, San Pedro’s popular, four-day military celebration in nearby San Pedro concluded with its own special Memorial Day ceremony.

During its four-day run, Fleet Week drew thousands of people to its main expo area in front of the USS Battleship Iowa to meet with sailors and Marines, tour Navy and Coast Guard ships and take in plenty of live music and other fun events — such as the Galley Wars and a dodgeball tournament. But the Memorial Day observance, with a star-spangled wreath at the heart of the stage, was a solemn, reflective conclusion to the weekend’s festivities.

A large crowd formed for the final event of the day, the Memorial Day observance and closing ceremony. The ceremony included an invocation and benediction, posting of the colors and national anthem played by the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band, a moment of silence, and a speech by Gary L. Littrell, a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major and one of only 61 living recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Not far away, new memorial plates were unveiled at the Honoring Our Fallen Memorial Wall in Long Beach to honor individuals who died in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, the Global War on Terrorism, first responders and those who died from suicide, according to Laura Herzog, the founder, CEO and director of programs for Honoring Our Fallen.

The reading of the nearly 7,000 names of Americans who have died in combat and training exercises since the 9/11 attacks as reported by U.S. Central Command began at 5:45 a.m. Monday at Rosie the Riveter Park in Long Beach and was expected to continue into the afternoon. Members of Gold Star families, local active-duty military members, law enforcement officers, first responders and veterans read  the names in order of death as inscribed on the park’s memorial wall.

Special paper and charcoal pencils were available for name rubbings family and friends can make of their loved ones or friends’ names and take with them.

Honoring Our Fallen describes itself as “dedicated to serving our nation’s fallen and the families these heroes have left behind by providing comprehensive support.”

Not far away, Long Beach’s All Souls Cemetery in marked Memorial Day with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Marc Trudeau, the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s auxiliary bishop for the San Pedro Region. The outdoor Mass drew hundreds and featured live music, special reading an an Honor Guard from the Knights of Columbus.

Two days earlier, Long Beach hosted a Memorial Day commemoration at its Navy Memorial at Shoreline Aquatic Park. The Saturday afternoon event, hosted in partnership with the USS Frank E. Evans Association, honored the “Lost 74″ — sailors who, according to the city’s website, died when the USS Frank E. Evans collided with an Australian aircraft carrier in 1969. Long Beach was the home port for that Navy destroyer.

Further down the coast, the final day of Fiesta Hermosa took a short break from the live music and revelry to honor those who served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The Hermosa Beach festival — which annually draws thousands of people for three days of food, music and carnival fun, held the Memorial Day ceremony on Monday afternoon. The observance featured remarks from Hermosa Beach Councilmember Raymond Jackson, also a veteran. Local singer Olivia Pucci performed the national anthem.

In nearby Redondo Beach, a Memorial Day ceremony also took place at the city’s Veterans Park. That event was co-hosted by the city, Redondo Beach Elks Lodge No. 1378 and the Veterans Memorial Task Force — and also featured a barbecue.

Farther south, Green Hills LA, a memorial park in Rancho Palos Verdes, held its annual Memorial Day Observance on Monday morning. That event included skydivers and flyovers, and the procession of colors, as well as performances by the Pasadena Scottish Pipes and Drums Band, and the Navy Band Southwest — in town for L.A. Fleet Week.

The 34th Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade rolled out at the intersection of Sherman Way and Owensmouth Avenue and proceed east to Cozycroft Avenue. Its theme:  “Saluting the Price of Freedom.”

The day began with the opening ceremony, followed by the parade kickoff and a flyover of the Condor Squadron, sponsored by the Van Nuys Airport. Parade participants made their way along Sherman Way from Owensmouth Avenue to Cozycraft Avenue, bringing the San Fernando Valley community together for its longstanding Memorial Day tradition.

Organizers said the parade paid tribute to fallen heroes from every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, with a special tribute to local heroes, including Canoga Park High School graduates, who gave their lives from World War II to present day. This year’s theme was “Saluting the Price of Freedom.”

The parade was emceed by local business leader, Miri Rossitto, founder and CEO of Cowe Communications. Bill Ratner, Chair of the Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade, shared his thoughts: “This 34th Annual event is a grassroots hometown parade that reflects our community’s solemn promise of remembrance to our fallen.” This year’s parade was led by Grand Marshal Rear Admiral Dave Barnes, U.S. Navy, a proud native of the West San Fernando Valley.

The parade’s goal: To combine “all the tradition along with some new ideas to make the parade safe and fun as we remember those that gave their lives for our freedom,” according to a statement from the board of directors of the Canoga Park Community Center Foundation.

The grand marshal: U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Dave Barnes, who was raised in the West San Fernando Valley.

Nearby, an outdoor Catholic Mass honoring U.S. armed forces members who died in service was celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez at San Fernando Mission Cemetery and Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary in Mission Hills.

The La Cañada Flintridge Memorial Day Parade celebrated the theme “America 250 Red, White & Blue ” with Joe Puglia, a former Marine Corps officer, author and retired professor, serving as grand marshal.

At South Pasadena’s War Memorial Building, a ceremony that started with remarks from Mayor Sheila Rossi, then a color guard presentation by Boy Scouts Troop 333, and a performance of the National Anthem by South Pasadena resident AwenRose Miller, culminated with a keynote address from Don Oliva, a United States Navy veteran.

Oliva served in Naval Aviation, specializing in the maintenance and mission readiness of F/A-18 Super Hornets.

He serves as president of the Pasadena City College Veterans Club, where he continues to support fellow veterans and their families through his work with the Veterans Resource Center.

In Pasadena, crowds gathered to recognize by name the 320 members of the Pasadena community who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the War on Terror., following Sept. 11, 2001.

The remembrance included the Condor Squadron Missing Man Formation Flyover, military funeral honors with a flag presentation to a Gold Star family, and a 21-gun salute by the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment.

Cadets from the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) Pasadena Division and the Blair High School Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) all played roles within the ceremony.

This year’s keynote speaker was Lt. Colonel Steven Uziel, Inspector-Instructor for the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment since 2025.

At Whittier City Hall, veterans, residents and leaders came together for reflection and gratitude.

In Long Beach, Forest Lawn, a cemetery park built in 1921, held a Memorial Day Celebration on Monday morning that featured a keynote address, patriotic music, invocation, ceremonial wreath presentation, the Pledge of Allegiance, a color guard, and a presidential proclamation.

Memorial Day observances were held at Forest Lawn memorial parks in Covina Hills, Hollywood Hills and Long Beach and Glendale.

What became Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, as Decoration Day, a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Civil War dead with flowers.

It was established 25 days earlier by Maj. Gen. John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of veterans who fought for the Union in the Civil War. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the nation.

By the end of the 19th century, Decoration Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. After World War I, the holiday was changed to honor Americans who died fighting in all wars.

The term Memorial Day was first used in 1882, became more common after World War II and declared the official name by federal law in 1967.

Memorial Day had been observed on May 30, until being moved to the last Monday in May in 1971 under terms of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which became law in 1968.

Staff writers Cristina Merino, Michael Hixon, Anissa Rivera and Jill Stewart, as well as City News Service contributed to this report