Memorial Day this year is on Monday, May 26 and the day will start with several early morning ceremonies including in La Crescenta, Montrose and La Cañada Flintridge.

By Mary O’KEEFE

American Legion Post 288 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post (VFW) 1614 will be observing Memorial Day at Two Strike Park, 5107 Rosemont Avenue, at 8 a.m. There will be a presentation of colors, a Prisoner of War/Missing In Action (POW/MIA) table ceremony and more. In addition to the American Legion and VFW veterans, featured will be the Crescenta Valley High School JROTC, U.S. Scout Troop 288 and Monday@ JoJo’s, who will be performing. 

Farther south a ceremony will be held at the Vietnam Memorial at the northwest corner of Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard at 8 a.m. There will be local officials at the ceremony and a presentation of colors. 

Fiesta Days, a traditional Memorial Weekend event held in La Cañada, begins on Saturday with a French toast breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Festivities continue through 4 p.m. on Monday when Music in the Park kicks off. In addition, on Monday there will be a Memorial Day service beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Memorial Park, 1301 Foothill Blvd., followed by an 11 a.m. parade themed, “You’re a Grand Old Flag” with Grand Marshal Ivan Creggar, a WWII veteran. 

For information on the activities of La Cañada Flintridge Fiesta Days visit 

https://www.lacanadaflintridge.com/fiesta-days/.

The City of Glendale will hold a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Memorial Wall outside Glendale City Hall, 613 E. Broadway. Interim Fire Chief Jeff Brooks will serve as emcee, Capt. Tommy Nicola will deliver the keynote address. Light refreshments will be provided by the Glendale Elks Lodge. 

The Glendale Sunrise Rotary will install one thousand American flags on the grounds of Forest Lawn in Glendale to commemorate Memorial Day. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on May 26 and will honor first responders – specifically members of the Glendale Police Dept., Glendale Fire Dept., LA County Fire Dept. and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. The property is located at 1712 S. Glendale Ave. in Glendale. The flags will be removed on May 27.

“To many Americans, including most veterans, Memorial Day is a serious and somber day of remembrance. We remember the men and women who were killed in action, are missing in action and died from injuries inflicted while a prisoner of war. The bravery, courage and sacrifice of these warriors have kept our nation free for 250 years. Our freedom is enjoyed by every single American – period. This we remember on Memorial Day,” said Lynn McGinnis, member of American Legion Post 288. “The POW/MIA table is a ceremony that is performed at every significant American Legion and many veteran events. It remembers veterans who are not at the event because they are MIA or died in captivity as a POW. The moving ceremony is a somber reminder of the bravery, courage and sacrifice of these missing warriors.”