Memorial Day Events
In and around Los Angeles
Sunday, May 29
Free Admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, Soak City for All U.S. Military
Knott’s Berry Farm and Southern California Knott’s Soak City water parks in San Diego and Buena Park will offer free admission to active and retired U.S. military personnel Memorial Day weekend. A valid military I.D. must be presented to receive free admission.
For more information visit www.knotts.com.
PBS’s National Memorial Day Concert
The 2011 National Memorial Day Concert will open with a special segment remembering those who lost their lives on 9/11, and their loved ones, and commemorating the heroism of the firefighters and police officers who first responded.
The multi award-winning event will also continue its two decades long tradition of honoring the service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform who have protected us, their families at home and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The National Memorial Day Concert will be co-hosted for the sixth year by Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (CSI:New York) and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), two acclaimed actors who have dedicated themselves to veteran’s causes and to supporting our troops in active service.
The all-star line-up participating in the 22nd annual broadcast includes: American Idol finalist Pia Toscano, Academy, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, American Idol winner Kris Allen, two-time Academy and Emmy Award-winning actress Dianne Wiest, King of the Blues B.B. King, acclaimed actor Jason Ritter, classical superstar Hayley Westenra, America’s beloved tenor Daniel Rodriguez, the New York city policeman who united the country after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and gospel legend Yolanda Adams. They will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.
The event will feature a special thank you to our troops who have been serving in Iraq by General Colin Powell.
The poignant story of a woman who lost her father in Vietnam and how her experiences are helping a new generation of children who have suffered the same loss after their parents served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A tribute to our World War II veterans 70 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The National Memorial Day Concert is broadcast live, nationwide on PBS, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network.
For more information visit www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert
Monday, May 30
Honor and Remembrance
The Los Angeles National Cemetery will host the 122nd annual Memorial Day program at 10:30 a.m. It will honor the memory of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to give the gift of freedom to this great nation. Retired Maj. Gen. John T. Crowe of the United States Army will be the keynote speaker, and the star of television’s “JAG,” David James Elliott, will be the master of ceremonies. Also in attendance: Robert Davi, William Lucking, Gerald McRaney, Lee Purcell, Jack Scalia, Nanci Chambers, David Horowitz and other celebrities. This event is free.
Los Angeles National Cemetery, 950 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Westwood. (310) 268-4675.
Walk for Your Warrior
A family-friendly 5K walk/run to benefit New Directions Inc., a nonprofit agency that assists homeless veterans. Join the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce at 8:30 a.m. to walk in honor of those who have served and those who are currently serving in the armed forces and to benefit any group that helps veterans transition back to families and community. There are more than 8,000 veterans currently living on the streets of Los Angeles; and veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are homeless far more often than veterans of other conflicts. Registration is $45 for adults and $20 for children 10 years-old and under.
West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Campus, 11303 Wilshire Blvd., VA Bldg. 116, Los Angeles. For more information visit http://walkforwarriors.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=468500
Queen Mary Salutes U.S. Military Personnel
The Queen Mary will offer free admission to all U.S. active and retired military personnel on Memorial Day. General admission includes a self-guided tour and the Ghosts & Legends Show. 10 a.m., parking: $12.
Queen Mary, 1126 Queen’s Hwy., Long Beach. For more information, visit www.queenmary.com.
Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade
The annual parade includes military marching units, bands, floats, dignitaries, antique and classic cars, youth groups, fly overs by military aircraft, and equestrian units. The procession is followed by a festival at Quimby Park with music, food and vendors. Parade starts at 11 a.m. along Sherman Way from Owensmouth to De Soto ending at Quimby Park (one block south of Sherman Way on De Soto) in Canoga Park. Free.
Quimby Park, 7008 De Soto Ave., Canoga Park. For more information, visit www.canogaparkmemorialdayparade.com.
Free Admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, Soak City for All U.S. Military
Knott’s Berry Farm and Southern California Knott’s Soak City water parks in San Diego and Buena Park will offer free admission to active and retired U.S. military personnel Memorial Day weekend. A valid military I.D. must be presented to receive free admission.
For more information visit www.knotts.com.
Avenue of Flags
Each year to mark the day in which we all remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country, Memory Garden Memorial Park and Mortuary displays an Avenue of Flags around our Veterans Field of Honor. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
Memory Garden Memorial Park and Mortuary 455 W. Central Ave., Brea. (714) 529-3961.
Memorial Day Services
The Orange County Cemetery District will host Memorial Day Services honoring veterans at all three of the district’s cemeteries; Anaheim Cemetery, El Toro Memorial Park and Santa Ana Cemetery. The service will begin at 10:00 am at the Santa Ana Cemetery and 11:00 am at the Anaheim Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park. All services are open to the public and attendance is free. Services will be held rain or shine. Seating may be limited, however you are able to bring a blanket or chair too. Free.
Anaheim Cemetery, 1400 E. Sycamore St., Anaheim. El Toro Memorial Park, 25751 Trabuco Rd., Lake Forest. Santa Ana Cemetery, 1919 E. Santa Clara Ave., Santa Ana.
For more information call (949) 951-9102, extension 10.
73rd Annual Fullerton Memorial Day Observance
The Memorial Day ceremony will include a special salute to the U.S. Army’s 11th Armored Calvary Regiment. Guest speaker will be Col. Tony Aguto, regimental commander of the 11th Calvary. Aguto will arrive at the ceremony aboard an Orange County Sheriff’s Department Helicopter. The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and is free to the public.
Loma Vista Memorial Park, 701 E. Bastanchury Rd., Fullerton.
For more information call (714) 871-2412 or visit www.cityoffullerton.com/residents/community_events/memorial_day_ceremony...
Memorial Day Flower Drop
The Palm Springs Air Museum will hold a memorial service dedicated to all of the fallen comrades, who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. In their honor, they highlight the service with a fly-by and flower drop of over 3,000 red and white carnations from a B-25 Mitchell. This most impressive ceremony is their way of saluting our fallen comrades. Activities include K-NEWS Radio live broadcast live from 10 to noon, cool kids activities for the whole family, Heatwave Jazz Band four T34s will fly-over performing the “Missing Man Formation,” TBM Avenger and much more. Active duty Military and families are admitted free. A valid military I.D. must be presented to receive free admission.
Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 North Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs. (760) 778-6262
For more information visit www.palmspringsairmuseum.org
COLUMBIA, S.C.—Cindy Williams didn’t tell anyone about her years in the military after she returned to civilian life in 2003, including how she was gang-raped by fellow soldiers.
Williams and 30 other South Carolina female veterans have broken their silence about their experiences in the military, from the recruitment office to the battlefield, in “Soldier Girl,” a documentary by University of South Carolina (USC) speech, communication and rhetoric instructor Cathy Brookshire.
Veterans Day traces its roots back to World War I, originally known as the Great War, because the carnage and scope (it involved all of the world’s major powers and a total number of combatants topping 70 million troops) of it surpassed any previous armed struggle experienced in the history of civilization. The official end of hostilities was marked by the Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919 at the palace of the same name on the outskirts of Paris.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Members of the armed forces, law enforcement and fire departments will be honored during pregame ceremonies at Dodger Stadium tonight as the team conducts Heroes Night.
Representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department will throw out a simultaneous ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Los Angeles-based nonprofit veterans group announced that it has started an effort to identify and treat combat veterans suffering from untreated post traumatic stress disorder.
U.S. VETS, which is dedicated to providing housing and services to homeless and at-risk veterans, said nearly 20 percent of all veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, but only 40 percent seek treatment.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Los Angeles Dodgers will open their 2013 season today against the World Series champion San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium, which underwent $100 million worth of improvements during the offseason.
The upgrades — including new high-definition video boards in left field and right field, wider concourses and expanded restrooms — will make attending a game “a lot more comfortable, a lot more entertaining and a lot more fun,” said team president and CEO Stan Kasten.
