Veterans, elected officials and community members are set to gather at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial at Cinco Puntos for the 78th Annual Memorial Day commemoration.
As is Eastside tradition, military members will stand guard over the memorial – located at the intersection where Boyle Heights ends and East L.A. begins – for 24 hours starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. The vigil will conclude with a ceremony on Monday, May 26th, from 10 to 11 a.m.
Residents are encouraged to bring photos of loved ones who died serving the country to place at the memorial. Their names will also be called out during the ceremony in honor of their sacrifice.
The event is organized by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1013 and Julie Sands, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran from East L.A. and best-selling author of “War Dad: A Daughter’s Story of Surviving PTSD and the Effects of War,” who will also emcee.
Col. Arnold Strong, who served the U.S. Army for three decades, is the event’s keynote speaker. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, state Senator Maria Elena Durazo and Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez are among the elected officials expected to attend the Monday ceremony.
Featured presentations include a performance of “Taps,” a military bugle call, by Roosevelt High School students, a color guard show by Garfield High’s JROTC and a helicopter flyover by the Los Angeles Police Department Air Support Division.
Cinco Puntos was the starting location of the first Chicano Moratorium, a march in protest of the Vietnam War on December 20, 1969, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. The war memorial pays tribute to the strong presence of the veteran community on the Eastside, the L.A. Conservancy adds.
Event Details:
- Memorial Day Ceremony
- Location: 3300 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
- Time: 10 to 11 a.m.
Good to hear this traditional ceremony is still in existence. My brother was a Vietnam War veteran and supported the ceremony until he died. I attended three of these ceremonies along with my mother. My brother was engaged with many veterans helping them out as he could.