Three Local Events Pay Tribute to Pasadena’s Fallen

The City of Pasadena does not conduct any official Memorial Day ceremonies. However, in Pasadena and Altadena, three events today mark the importance of Memorial day and pay homage to the men and women of the U.S. military who have lost their lives defending our country.

Vietnam Veterans of America’s Memorial Day Commemoration

This event will be held on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the site of the Vietnam War Memorial in Pasadena’s Memorial Park, located at 35 E. Holly Street?.

The ceremony is organized by Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Pasadena chapter, in collaboration with Pasadena American Legion Post 13 and the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department.

“This year is really going to focus on our founding principle, which is never again will one generation  of veterans abandon another. And to that end, we will be reading the names of the men who were killed  in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq,” James Maddox from VVA said.

The event’s keynote speaker is Toni Gerard, whose brother Charles Gerard was killed in Vietnam. 

Mountain View Cemetery’s Memorial Day Event 

The event will happen on May 29 starting at noon at Mountain View Cemetery at 2400 N. Fair Oaks Ave., in Altadena. It will feature a gun salute by Civil War reenactors wearing full costume and Civil war story telling by historian Nick Smith.

Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War will share their family stories at the event while Gen. W.S. Rosecrans Camp No. 2. of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will conduct a meaningful ceremony near the GAR Godfrey Post monument at 2:00 p.m.

“We have 700 union soldiers from the Civil War.We have 72 soldiers here that were Confederates during the Civil War. So it’s  like an all day roving event storyteller,” Denny Dormody, one of the funeral directors at Mountain View said. 

Families are welcome to join the event. Gates open at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., and there is plenty of parking available.

Dormody said there will be free flags which visitors can pick and place on graves. 

He added that if visitors would like to pay respects to a relative, Mountain View can also help with plotting out a map for them when they visit.

Dormody advised residents joining the event to “bring a smile and a bottle of bottled water and enjoy our beautiful history.”

Mountain View is honored to be hosting the annual event.

“It’s part of the history of our Altadena and Pasadena community, and we like to honor all the  veterans that are here,” said Dormody.

“It’s to honor our local heroes and the people that are from the area that have served in the  military. So it’s our great honor to be part of that and to provide a resting place for our past heroes.”

The Enduring Heroes Memorial Day Event 

A ceremony will be held on Memorial Day at Pasadena’s Enduring Heroes Memorial to honor local Gold Star heroes, those who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The event will begin at 3:00 p.m. in Defenders Park, located at the corner of Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevards.

The ceremony will be officiated by Mayor Victor Gordo and attended by Vice Mayor Felicia Williams. The monument’s sculptor, Christopher Slatoff, is expected. The public is welcome.

The ceremony is planned to be informal and will last about 30 minutes. Mayor Gordo will speak briefly about the 11 fallen heroes who are memorialized on the Enduring Heroes Monument as well as all of the brave men and women who have died in service to the United States.

A bagpiper will play at the conclusion of the ceremony.

A patriotic wreath and small American flags will be placed near the monument.

Members of the public who plan to attend are encouraged to wear red, white and blue and to bring a flower or small bouquet.

The Enduring Heroes Monument is an 8-foot-tall bronze statue which depicts a U.S. soldier triumphantly holding aloft an American flag. The statue was unveiled in 2017 and is located in Defenders Park, a grassy section of a small public green near the bustling intersection of Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevards near where the Rose Parade starts.