Burbank honors fallen armed forces members during Memorial Day service
Hundreds of Burbank residents, dignitaries, elected officials and veterans gathered to honor the lives of fallen military personnel as part of the city of Burbank’s annual Memorial Day ceremony at the war memorial in McCambridge Park.
“It’s a morning of reflection,” Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy said during the ceremony. “A day to think and to learn, to remember and honor the brave men and women from the Burbank community and throughout our great nation, who so bravely fought and lost their lives in defense of our country.”
As the event commenced, veterans in attendance were honored. Later, they sat in silence to remember the military personnel who didn’t make it back while fighting for their country.
Jimmy Weldon, who served during World War II and has spoken at several past local Memorial Day ceremonies, brought the American flag to life as he recited “Presentation of Old Glory.”
“I promise when you leave here, you’re gonna feel a whole lot better than you did when you came in,” the 95-year-old told the crowd.
“[For] what we’ve done honoring our soldiers who have bled major blood, they would say, ‘Thank you, you’re not forgetting us,’” he added.
On the note of remembrance, state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) pointed out some of the unseen aspects of war and its aftereffects on veterans and their communities.
“I see [these] memorials, and I read the names of the lost soldiers,” Portantino said. “I also look at the memorials and see the space that’s left for future heroes to be recognized, and that’s a powerful moment. Not everyone who goes to war comes back.”
In hopes to spread awareness about the increasing number of veteran suicides due to post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses associated with war, the senator emphasized the importance of supporting those individuals.
“Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide, and that’s collateral damage from their patriotism and their service,” Portantino said. “It’s appropriate that we recognize these brave men and women who fight for our country. A day like this reminds us that what affects one of us, affects all of us.”
To further humanize those being honored, state Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) talked about the core values of the country and what they embody for Americans.
“The fallen men and women that we are honoring gave their full measure and they did so out of their ultimate commitment to duty, to country,” Friedman said.
“For each name that is etched in stone in a monument ... there was a person who was somebody’s child, someone’s parent, somebody’s relative [or] neighbor ... And they lived a life that bears remembrance on Memorial Day every year,” she added.
The event also included several singers performing songs of remembrance, including Bobbi Cranston, who sang “Forever Young” as her husband, Brice, played the guitar. Anjanette McFarlin sang “Amazing Grace,” and Pat Walmisley, a member of the Burbank Veterans Committee, which sponsors the annual event, sang “God Bless America.”
The Burbank Community Band, which has a number of members who are veterans, opened the event playing the musical anthems of the various military branches and concluded with the playing of “Taps.”
Mickey DePalo, chair of Burbank Veterans Committee said a renovation and expansion of the war memorial at McCambridge Park is slated to start soon and should be ready by Veterans Day.