Where to honor America’s fallen soldiers around L.A. this Memorial Day
On Monday, Angelenos will honor America’s fallen service members with a host of Memorial Day events, including, cemetery ceremonies, parades and flyovers.
The tradition of dedicating a specific day to remember those who died in military service started after the Civil War. During its first observance in 1868, it was known as Decoration Day, because Americans adorned the graves of the dead with flowers.
The tradition evolved to include other types of remembrances and veterans from all wars. In 1967, the federal government established Memorial Day as an official holiday.
Here are a few events scheduled in and around L.A. on Monday:
At 10 a.m. Monday, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti will join Randy C. Reeves, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs undersecretary for memorial affairs, at a ceremony at the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Westwood.
Retired U.S. Army Capt. Dr. Jon Williams, a Purple Heart recipient who underwent 23 surgeries during his second tour in the Vietnam War, will speak at an event at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills starting at 10 a.m.
A ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, originally built in 1923 to honor the 23,000 Angelenos who served in World War I, is scheduled for noon and will include patriotic music, an honor guard presentation and the lighting of the stadium torch.
The annual Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade kicks off an hour after the 10:00 a.m. opening ceremony at Sherman Way and Owensmouth Avenue.
People will gather at 11 a.m. in front of the Memorial Obelisk Monument at Inglewood City Hall for speeches, a colors presentation and a flag ceremony.
A ceremony featuring a flyover of 17 military transport aircraft, a skydiving performance, a 21-gun salute, the release of 100 doves and a parade of colors will begin at 10 a.m. at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes. Retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Wissler is scheduled to speak.
Veterans are asked to bring their military photos to display at a traditional ceremony at 10 a.m. at the city’s Veterans Memorial and Eternal Flame.
Starting at 5:45 a.m., people will gather at Rosie the Riveter Park to read the names of the roughly 7,000 members of the armed services who have died since Sept. 11, 2001. The names are inscribed on the park’s Honoring Our Fallen Memorial Wall.
A Vietnam War Navy veteran will speak at a ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. in El Monte’s Arceo Park. Tributes are also scheduled for prisoners of war and those missing in action.
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