Orange County communities have a number of events planned for Memorial Day to honor the ultimate sacrifice of those who died while in service to our country.
Here are some of the events scheduled on Memorial Day, May 27, unless otherwise indicated.
Anaheim: There will be a flag presentation, a wreath-laying ceremony and speakers at 11 a.m. at the Anaheim Cemetery, 1400 E. Sycamore St. The ceremony will be held in front of the community mausoleum. Arrive early or bring a lawn chair. Information: occemeterydistrict.com
Brea: More than 1,100 American flags are displayed each year in an Avenue of the Flags at Memory Garden Memorial Park & Mortuary, 455 W. Central Ave. The grave of each veteran in the park will be also decorated with a white cross and miniature flag. The Avenue of the Flags, open from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., was started in 1958 with six flags. Information: memorygarden.com
Buena Park: This annual event honors men and women who sacrificed for our country as well as the families who have lost loved ones. There will be a service beginning at 10 a.m. at Civic Center, 6650 Beach Blvd., featuring a color guard, patriotic music, a car display and more. Information: buenapark.com
Corona del Mar: There will be a remembrance service beginning at 11 a.m. at the Pacific View Memorial Park & Mortuary, 3500 Pacific View Drive. The 64th annual remembrance is held in conjunction with American Legion 291 and will include two flyovers, including the D-Day Doll C-53, a transport plane that flew over Normandy.
VFW Post 6024 Honor Guard gives a firing salute during the 34th annual Veterans Day Observance at El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest on Saturday, November 11, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Costa Mesa: This ceremony, now in its 70th year, will honor the fallen at 11 a.m. at Harbor Lawn-Mt. Olive Memorial Park & Mortuary, 1625 Gisler Ave., and is set to include a missing man flyover, as well as a WWII bomber,, musical presentations and a wreath laying ceremony. Information: fcocmemorialday.com
Cypress: The 10 a.m. remembrance at Forest Lawn-Cypress, 4471 Lincoln Ave., will feature a ceremony paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice . Information: ForestLawn.com
Dana Point: VFW Post 9934 and the city will host a ceremony at 10 a.m. in Pines Park, 34941 Camino Capistrano. Information: danapoint.org
Fountain Valley: The city along with the West Orange County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Auxiliary No. 9557, comprising posts from Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Westminster and Midway City, will host a commemoration at 10 a.m. at Veterans Park, 17635 Los Alamos St.
Fullerton: The community’s Memorial Day observance starts at 10 a.m. at Loma Vista Memorial Park, 701 E. Bastanchury Road. In a tradition started in 1939, volunteers will place a cross and a flag at the graves of more than 4,400 veterans leading up to the ceremony, which will feature speaker Nicole Uchida, a Navy veteran and Troy High alumna who is now the speech writer for the Secretary of the Navy, as well as patriotic music, a gun salute, recognition of veterans and more. Information: avmafullerton.org
Huntington Beach: An 11 a.m. ceremony, hosted by the city along with American Legion Post 133, will feature the Huntington Beach High School Band and a tribute to those who died in service at Pier Plaza. Information: 714-536-3855
Irvine: The city’s annual ceremony is 10 a.m. at Col. Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, 4 Civic Center Plaza. Write a card to be sent to the city’s adopted 211/Marine Battalion. Information: cityofirvine.org/specialevents
Also, on Sunday, May 26, there will be a candle-lighting ceremony held at 4 p.m. at the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial at Northwood Community Park. Lawn chairs or blankets for sitting are encouraged. The park is at 4531 Bryan Ave.
Laguna Beach: A community ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. in Heisler Park, 375 Cliff Drive, to pay tribute to all military personnel who have died in wars and conflicts. There will be bagpipes, an honor guard, speakers and a wreath presentation. Music starts at 10:30 a.m. Also a pancake breakfast starts at 7 a.m.
Laguna Hills: The city will host its annual Memorial Day Half Marathon. The event includes the half marathon, a 5K run/walk, a 10K run and a kids run. The city will donate $10,000 in race proceeds to Team Darkhorse, the city’s 3/5 Marine Support Committee. Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to contribute to the South County Outreach Food Drive. Information: lagunahillshalfmarathon.com
Lake Forest: The El Toro Memorial Park tribute will include a keynote speech by Bill Cook, a veteran of the Vietnam War and chair of the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, along with a color guard flag ceremony, a wreath presentation, musical performances and a gun salute, beginning at 11 a.m. The park is at 25751 Trabuco Road. Information: occemeterydistrict.com.
Laguna Niguel: At noon, the Sea Country Senior and Community Center will hold a ceremony that includes a color guard, dignitaries, guest speaker and placing of a wreath. The center is at 24602 Aliso Creek Road.
Roses were placed on the names of fallen service members from Orange County during the Memorial Day ceremony.Photographed on Monday May 30, 2022. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Contributing Photographer).
La Palma: The city’s ceremony starts at 9 a.m. at the Eternal Flame in front of the Civic Center, 7822 Walker St. Walker will be closed from Thelma Avenue to La Palma Avenue from 8:45 a.m. until the ceremony is over.
Mission Viejo: The community observance will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Kershaw Garden at Mission Viejo Civic Center, 200 Civic Center. The ceremony will include guest speakers Col.Matthew D. Lundgren, commanding Officer of Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and Jeffrey Andrade, of the Veteran’s Administration and also a retired Marine, as well as a rifle salute, color guard, patriotic songs and a lighting of the eternal flame of remembrance. Information: cityofmissionviejo.org
Newport Beach: The 15th annual Field of Honor is on display at Castaways Park, 700 Dover Drive. To honor those who have served, there are 1,776 large American flags flying in the park. They were installed on May 17. The display is up through Memorial Day, when there will be a noon celebration of Memorial Day, including keynote speaker Elaine Brattain, former national chaplain for the American Gold Star Mothers. Information: nhexchange.net
San Clemente: At 11 a.m., an observance will be held at the San Clemente Community Center lawn, 100 N. Calle Seville. Lt. Col. Patrick Holland, commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines will be the speaker and there will be a presentation of wreaths and the colors, taps buglers and patriotic music. The public is invited. Information: san-clemente.org
Related links
12 free things to do in Southern California on Memorial Day weekend
33 free fun things to do in Southern California in May
Wish granted: An aircraft carrier is returning to headline LA Fleet Week in San Pedro
Memorial Day: Living history reenactors honor military sacrifice
Memorial Day: Orange County gathers to honor service and sacrifice
Also, a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Marine Monument at Park Semper Fi, 106 W. Alameda Lane, overlooking the pier, will feature Brig. Gen. Robert S. Weiler, assistant division commander with the 1st Marine Division, various honors and musical presentations. Information: marinemonument.com
San Juan Capistrano: The Mission San Juan Capistrano and the nonprofit Homefront America are presenting the Field of Honor, with hundreds of 7-foot-tall, community-sponsored flags on display to honor active military, veterans and first responders. The flags will be up through Memorial Day. The mission will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Memorial Day.
Santa Ana: The annual service at Fairhaven Memorial Park will begin at 10:30 a.m.will feature a flyover, a car display, patriotic entertainment, military speakers and the Blue Eagles Honor Guard. The cemetery is at 1702 E. Fairhaven Ave. Information: 714-633-1442 or fairhavenmemorial.com
Also, the observance at 10 a.m. at the Santa Ana Cemetery, 1919 E. Santa Clara Ave., will include speakers, a parade of flags, wreath presentations and reenactors portraying President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. The ceremony will be at the Soldiers’ Monument To the Unknown Dead of the Civil War, a community tradition since 1881. Information: occemeterydistrict.com
Fullerton will again hold its annual Memorial Day observance, the oldest continuous ceremony in north Orange County honoring veterans of the community. (Register file photo)
Seal Beach: The Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach will host a ceremony at 11 a.m. at its United States National Submarine Memorial West. The memorial is at 800 Seal Beach Blvd., and open to the public.
Tustin: The city will host a 9 a.m. remembrance event at the Veterans Monument at Veterans Sports Park, 1645 Valencia Ave. The names of Tustin KIA and MIA servicemembers will be read, new veterans pavers will be unveiled and there will be a 21-gun salute. Veteran aviator Peter Seitz will be the guest speaker. Among many posts he was the commander of the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos until his retirement in 2001.
Yorba Linda: The Nixon Presidential Library & Museum will commemorate Memorial Day with events including the Huntington Beach Concert Band performing in the library’s replica of the White House East Room at 11 a.m.. US Army Specialist Juan Carlos Hernandez will be the keynote speaker during a wreath laying ceremony at 10 a.m. The library is at 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd. Information: nixonfoundation.org
Also, at the Yorba Linda Veterans Memorial, the annual Memorial Day observance will be held at 2 p.m. The afternoon will feature speakers, color guard and musical performances. A traditional Gold Star roll call will be conducted. The memorial is in Veterans Park, 4756 Valley View Ave. Information: yorbalindaveteransmemorial.com
Leave a Reply