Ceremonies Honor Nation’s War Dead : Memorial Day: Parade and tree-plantings are among the salutes to fallen soldiers and crime victims.

Southern Californians turned out under leaden skies Monday to commemorate the nation’s war dead with a festive parade, a quiet tree-planting, bustling high school ceremonies, solemn graveside services--and the sounds of solitary buglers playing “Taps.”

Rear Adm. David Janes, commander of the Naval Reserve Readiness command in San Diego, told a gathering at Hollywood Memorial Park cemetery that this year’s Memorial Day ceremonies were especially significant because of the political changes wrought around the world by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the democratization of Eastern Europe and the liberation of Kuwait.

“All those who yearn for freedom have yet to realize their dreams,” Janes said. “But the flower of a lasting peace--that new world order--has been allowed to blossom.”

In Inglewood, trees were planted at the Inglewood Park Cemetery to honor both military dead and the victims of violent crime.

Gladys Kelly--who planted a pine tree in memory of her son, Eugene, killed in a drive-by shooting last year--acknowledged how difficult it was for anyone to lose a relative on a foreign battlefield.

“But I tell you,” she added, “it’s nothing like to lose a member of my family . . . to the outrageous wars we’re having here.”

A Memorial Day parade in La Canada Flintridge traveled about a mile down Foothill Boulevard and included more than 100 units. It featured marching bands, equestrian units, squadrons of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and a herd of schoolchildren on bicycles, tricycles, coaster wagons and on foot.

One of the busiest people Monday was Rep. David Dreier (R-La Verne), who delivered speeches during Veterans of Foreign Wars services at cemeteries in Pomona, Glendora and Whittier.

Army Col. Jess Brewer spoke during ceremonies at a cemetery in Carson and Rep. Glenn M. Anderson (D-San Pedro) joined Long Beach Mayor Ernie Kell and Capt. Stephen Holl, commanding officer of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, to address those attending graveside services in Long Beach.

About 350 gathered at Beverly Hills High School to honor the 90 alumni who have died in military service--men such as Jack Fox, who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, and Josh Levin, who was killed when his jet fighter crashed during a training exercise in the Philippines in 1990.

“People don’t think enough about what the soldiers did for us,” Esther Taik, a junior at the school, said after the ceremony. “When people talk about Memorial Day, they talk about going to Palm Springs and other places to have fun, but this is a way to commemorate the soldiers.”

Temperatures pushed no higher than the upper 60s and skies were mostly cloudy throughout much of the Los Angeles Basin during the day.

Traffic throughout the Southland was generally light throughout the holiday weekend. The California Highway Patrol said that at least 28 people across the state were killed in traffic accidents by dawn Monday.

That represents an improvement over last year, when 45 people died during the same period.

The CHP said that at least 17 of this year’s victims were not wearing seat belts, which are required by law.