The names of loved ones. Spiritual bonds link the living with the dead during Dia de los Muertos.
Many generations came together in Old Town this evening during Dia de los Muertos.
Love and memory were written on so many smiling faces as people celebrated their departed loved ones. Chalk memorials and scattered marigolds lined San Diego Avenue. And the evening ended with a candlelight procession from Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to the small El Campo Santo cemetery. A walk of several blocks in the growing darkness . . . a short walk down a road brightly lit by love.
My poor camera failed to capture the candlelight procession as night descended. But your heart and mind might imagine it.
An abundance of music, humor and life on stage during the Dia de los Muertos celebration in Old Town San Diego!People could pose for photos with two giant skeleton puppets!An artist paints two large skulls–calaveras–in Old Town’s Plaza de las Armas during Dia de los Muertos.Children decorate traditional sugar skulls.Some around the park wore fancy dresses and hats for the day, recreating the iconic Mexican image of La Calavera Catrina. I saw many faces painted like fantastic skulls.Some of the shops in Old Town had a mix of decorations for both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos.A large, colorful calavera above a restaurant inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.Face painting and a youthful smile.Hundreds of tributes and sentiments for departed loved ones were written in chalk on a long stretch of San Diego Avenue, inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.Lanterns among the many Dia de los Muertos chalk memorials.Te amo–I love you–and a marigold.Love and memory connect many generations as the years roll on.
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I happened upon a few notable names during a walk through Mount Hope Cemetery. I had over an hour before the Memorial Day ceremony would begin, so I just wandered down winding roads through fields of headstones.
Many early residents of San Diego are buried at Mount Hope. Among the jumble of names engraved in stone, one can find some of the city’s most influential citizens. Like Alonzo Horton, Kate Sessions, George Marston, Thomas Whaley, Ah Quin, E. S. Babcock, and Robert Waterman. (Not to mention the famous author Raymond Chandler!) But I didn’t have a map. So I just meandered through the hilly cemetery and gazed.
Thousands of gravestones.
Every life different. Every life important in its own way.
Some of the dates indicate long lives, others short. But isn’t it true that all of our lives are short?
Someone asked about my visit–if the cemetery felt spooky. No. The best word that comes to mind is bittersweet. A feeling of both joy and sadness.
Every single name has become a part of San Diego history.
(I did a bit of research for this blog post. Hopefully I got the following information right. If not, leave a comment!)
George James Keating
George James Keating was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1840. He and his wife Fannie, owners of a farming company, eventually moved to San Diego in 1886. Keating made large investments in the city’s booming real estate market. After his death, Fannie oversaw the construction of the five-story Keating Building, which I blogged about several years ago here.
Graves of the Marston family.George White Marston
George W. Marston was often referred to as “San Diego’s First Citizen.”
A successful department store owner, he founded the San Diego Historical Society and was a prominent advocate for and planner of Balboa Park. He was a critical force in the establishment of the San Diego Public Library System and Presidio Park.
You can see a sculpture of George Marston on my blog here, and the garden of his beautiful, historic house, which is located in the northwest corner of Balboa Park, here.
George F. Stockton
Lt. George F. Stockton’s tragic drowning on August 21, 1921 prompted the creation of the City of Oceanside Lifeguard Service. He was pulled out to sea by a rip current. He had served on the World War I ship USS San Diego.
Edward McGurck
Col. Edward McGurck was born in Ireland. He purchased property on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street in 1876 for $50. In 1887 he developed the McGurck Block Building at that location.
Monument to the Kurtz family.Daniel Brower Kurtz
Daniel Brower Kurtz has an important San Diego street named after him. He arrived in San Diego in 1850 and was elected second city mayor in 1851. He also served as a state senator, county judge, and assemblyman.
James Edward Friend
James Edward Friend was an enterprising reporter and newspaper publisher in the early days of San Diego.
Seeing his name brought a smile to my face. He was a good friend of Bum, San Diego’s Town Dog, and figured prominently in the wonderful book titled The Dog That Belonged to No One. Any young person living in San Diego should read this short book. It’s quite enjoyable, full of history and good humor.
Captain James Friend was also known as a friend and benefactor to San Diego’s newsboys.
You can read about Bum, San Diego’s lovable Town Dog, and see his sculpture in my blog post here.
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San Diegans gather for a Memorial Day ceremony at Mount Hope Cemetery.
The second Memorial Day event that I attended yesterday took place at Mount Hope Cemetery. I had never before visited this history-filled municipal cemetery.
Mount Hope is where many of San Diego’s early residents are buried. It’s hilly and sprawling, with thousands of scattered headstones and monuments. Thousands of names are eternally engraved.
The dignified Memorial Day ceremony was held atop GAR Hill. I learned that G.A.R. stands for Grand Army of the Republic. The fraternal organization is composed of veterans who fought on the Union side during the American Civil War. On grassy GAR Hill rest many Union soldiers who fought bravely.
The annual event, I also learned, is organized by both the Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans, and Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy. Over a thousand Civil War veterans are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Yesterday afternoon I stood and watched a moving tribute to those who had fought in the war that ended slavery. Some of the participants wore Civil War uniforms and period dress. History came to life with eloquent words of remembrance, and the singing of The Battle Hymn of the Republic and Amazing Grace. Several speakers recalled the men who fought, their sacrifices, and the triumph of liberty. Our current times were also addressed. It is necessary to stay firm in the defense of freedom.
This year the ceremony honored one Civil War soldier in particular: Henry Neal Fletcher, 4th Corporal, Company G, 3rd Iowa Cavalry. He fought for the Union. Both of his grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War. From them he learned how freedom was won. He died a beloved member of the San Diego community.
The idea for Memorial Day is thought to have come from the tradition of decorating soldier’s graves in late spring with flowers, a custom that predated the Civil War. During the war, with so many dead, the practice became very common. The tradition finally became formalized, and known as Decoration Day.
On this Memorial Day, atop a quiet hill, I saw many flags decorating the graves of soldiers.
While some prepare for the ceremony, others read the nearby gravestones and wonder at the sacrifices made long ago.American flags decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.This grave marker design was established by the Grand Army of the Republic. Here lies a Union soldier. Sergeant Francis E. Webster, 10th U.S. Infantry.Some participants wore Civil War uniforms–both blue and gray. They posted the flags and provided a musket salute.This restored mortar dates from the American Civil War. It stands on GAR Hill at Mount Hope Cemetery.One of many old gravestones. Here lies P.W. Bradbury, a scout under General Fremont.Honor guards perform March On The Colors.Thoughtful speeches follow an Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance.Holly Kirkman of John Muir School reads her inspirational, award-winning essay “What Memorial Day Means to Me.”Dedication Of Flowers. Red, then white, then blue flowers are placed by the grave marker of Henry Neal Fletcher.The program included a short biography of Henry Neal Fletcher, who fought in the Union Army. (Click image to read.)Musket Salute.Taps.Remembering the fallen on Memorial Day, at Mount Hope Cemetery in San Diego.
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Vietnamese Community of San Diego wreath stands by Peace Memorial.
Today I attended two Memorial Day ceremonies.
First, in the morning, I walked up to Balboa Park. There I joined others in remembering those who’d lost their lives in a terrible war. An emotional ceremony was held at the San Diego Vietnam Peace Memorial, which is located right next to The Veterans Museum. Special attention was given during this event to those who died serving their country during the Vietnam War.
Please forgive me. When I arrived I was in a quiet mood. I stood off to the side mostly, took no notes, snapped a photo now and then. I mostly just absorbed the speeches, the music, the flowers, so many names on bronze plaques and proud salutes by veterans in attendance. I felt a bit shy and didn’t grab a program. I regret that now. I forget the names of the speakers, and the lady who sang so beautifully.
Members of Vietnam Veterans of America, 472, were present. Before the morning program commenced, they had read names of the fallen–the Calling of the Names.
Many from the local Vietnamese community also attended. Some among them had fought in the war.
I remember that the keynote speech was very clear and very powerful. It was about service, and courage, and liberty, and friendship, and pain, and sacrifice, and history. It acknowledged the horror of war. Those who fought would rather have been at home in peace. All gave some; some gave all.
Those whose names are eternally engraved on the Peace Memorial have earned the gratitude of many.
Here are a few photos.
Flags are readied.Salutes.A dignified program commences. The Vietnam War is remembered, and those who fell during the conflict are honored.Speeches recall the harsh realities of war, and the democratic ideals many fought to defend.All quietly listen, some remember.Joyful, triumphant singing. America the Beautiful.Love for country. Young and old salute.A folded flag above the plaque marking the Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial in Balboa Park.Names of San Diegans who were killed or designated missing in action during the Vietnam War fill half a dozen bronze plaques.Flags, flowers and photos. A loved family member.On March 7, 1971, at the age of 21, David Jesus Naranjo perished in the service of our country in South Vietnam, Quang Nam.
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Flowers for the fallen at San Diego’s Regional Law Enforcement Memorial.
Yesterday the 33rd Annual San Diego County Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial ceremony was held at the Regional Law Enforcement Memorial, which stands eternally in San Diego’s beautiful Waterfront Park, in front of the County Administration Building.
During the solemn ceremony, fallen San Diego County peace officers were remembered, and honored.
The day after the ceremony flowers remain scattered by the names of heroes who sacrificed everything for you and me.
One of many park benches near the beautiful water of Mission Bay.
My walk today took me a good distance around Mission Bay.
Benches can be found at intervals along the pedestrian and bike path that circles much of the bay. Most of these benches feature a small plaque dedicated to a beloved person or memory.
I paused on several occasions to read these thoughtful plaques. One really touched me for some reason. I found it at the base of a quiet bench next to Riviera Shores. It is dedicated to Murf the Surf and Camellia the Pretty Good Dog.
There are so many stories, and so many lives. There’s much love in this world.
While I sat quietly on the bench, runners breezed past.I gazed across the sand at the calm blue water. Many have found enjoyment here.1999 – In Loving Memory – Murf the Surf and Camellia the Pretty Good Dog. They loved this beach. Ed and Beth of Buena Vista Street.
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Bronze sculpture of young girl dipping finger into shallow basin of water. The Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial is located at the La Jolla Recreation Center.
During my recent walk around La Jolla, I paused for a bit to admire a beautiful bronze sculpture at the La Jolla Recreation Center. The life-size likeness of a girl dipping a finger into a basin of water is officially called the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial. Created by artist Mary Buckman and dedicated in 1997, the gentle artwork remembers a very important figure in San Diego history: Ellen Browning Scripps.
If you live in San Diego, you surely recognize the name Ellen Browning Scripps. She and her brother created a vast business empire as newspaper publishers. During her life she gave most of her wealth away to good causes. She spent much of her life in La Jolla. Indeed, she lived right across Prospect Street from the present-day sculpture; her old residence is now home to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla.
This sculpture by Mary Buckman is dedicated to the memory of Ellen Browning Scripps. June 28, 1997. A beloved sculpture by James Tank Porter occupied this site from 1926 until its disappearance in 1996.People enjoy a nearby bench at the La Jolla Recreation Center on a sunny December day.Inscription on the bench is from Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.A beautiful work of art remembers San Diego journalist and philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps.
Here are several photos I took at a later time…
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I wrote a short story about a girl gazing into a fountain. Would you like to read it? To feel a mixture of joy and sadness, click here.
A large memorial remains in Chicano Park, almost four weeks after a tragic accident here took the lives of four people.
Almost a month after a tragic accident in Chicano Park, a large, spontaneously created memorial remains. It was created by many hands and hearts in the Barrio Logan community.
The memorial contains flowers, candles and other tokens of love, along with photographs of the deceased. Four were killed on October 14 when an automobile driven by a drunk driver plummeted from the Coronado Bay Bridge. Remembered are Annamarie Contreras, Cruz Elias Contreras, Andre Christopher Banks and Francine Denise Jimenez. Also remembered is Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez, who recently passed away. He was a beloved musician and inspiring leader in the local Chicano community.
Many candles are kept lit.
Candles, flowers and other powerful expressions of love stand beside a Chicano Park mural. They memorialize Annamarie Contreras, Cruz Elias Contreras, Andre Christopher Banks, Francine Denise Jimenez and Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez.Traditional symbols of love, grief and memory.
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A long mural painted on a building at the corner of National Avenue and Evans Street honors four lives that were lost during a tragic accident in Chicano Park on October 15, 2016.
Here are photos of the new mural in Barrio Logan that honors the lives of four people who died tragically last month in Chicano Park under the Coronado Bay Bridge. On October 14, the four–Annamarie Contreras, Cruz Elias Contreras, Andre Christopher Banks and Francine Denise Jimenez–were attending the annual La Raza Run motorcycle festival in Chicano Park when a car driven by a drunk driver suddenly plummeted from the bridge onto the crowd below. The news that four were killed and eight were injured was shocking. Many were shaken. So many hearts were broken.
The new artwork, which includes a tribute to the four victims, can be found at the corner of National Avenue and Evans Street, a block southeast of Chicano Park. Chicano Park is famous for its many colorful murals that depict the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and immigrants.
On Saturday, October 16, the day we started our mural, four members of the annual Raza Run lost their lives in the tragic accident at Chicano Park.The mural is titled Que Viva Barrio Logan, by artist Mario Torero. It’s painted on the side of Diego and Son Printing. Words proclaim: Making a difference in our community.The mural transmits great emotion. Many in the Barrio Logan community oppose gentrification.The mural also includes a message opposing the building of a new stadium downtown.Working under the Coronado Bay Bridge, home of Chicano Park.A few of the images in the mural. Breaking a chain of bondage. Music and pride. Protect the water.The face of Bob Dylan in Barrio Logan.Skeletons on bicycles. Symbols, I believe, of past loved ones.Withstanding with Standing Rock.The face of a migrant worker.Walking down the National Avenue sidewalk, past a new mural that celebrates life, memory and history in Barrio Logan.
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Flags and flowers are placed where the fallen now rest.
Today there was a moving Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. I attended.
Here are some photos. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, located on Point Loma high above the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay, is the final resting place of thousands of American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and their families, who served their country with courage and honor. Many who are buried in this hallowed place fought in different conflicts spanning our nation’s history, right up to the present-day War on Terrorism. Because of its amazing natural setting, many say Fort Rosecrans is more beautiful than even Arlington or Normandy. As you can see, it’s a special place.
A Memorial Day rose adorns a solemn grave marker at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.American flags at the grave markers around the USS Bennington Monument. The granite obelisk remembers those sailors who lost their lives when the warship’s boiler exploded in San Diego Bay in 1905.Love and respect are shown for those in the military who pledged to protect their countrymen, and defend freedom. They are honored on Memorial Day.Walking among silent rows of white. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.Many old granite markers at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery recall decades and centuries of history.A marker reads: “Lydia Hunter died from complications resulting from the birth of her only child, a son named Diego Hunter, the first American born in San Diego. Diego was born 20 April 1847, Lydia died 6 days later. May we honor her and each of those women who served with the Mormon Battalion.” Members of the Mormon Battalion made the longest military march in U.S. history. They marched over 2000 miles from Iowa to San Diego in 1847.People assemble in front of the rostrum where the Memorial Day service will be conducted at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.People from all walks of life have gathered together to honor those who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.While people take their seats before the opening and introduction, Marine Band San Diego provides music.The color guard comes forward. Those attending the ceremony sing the Star Spangled Banner and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.Some patriots in the crowd wave small flags.Veterans salute. Respect is shown for the flag.The color guard exited along the side where I sat, allowing me to take a couple of good photographs.Members of a high school ROTC program carry the United States and California flags.Folded flags are presented to families of fallen heroes. Everyone watching was very attentive and quiet.An address about different forms of love during Memorial Day. The moving speech was given by Major General O’Donohue of the 1st Marine Division in Camp Pendleton.Ceremonial wreaths approach the rostrum. Many organizations presented wreaths, including the Knights of Columbus shown here.Various ceremonial wreaths are displayed in front of the assembled people. Tokens of love, gratitude and respect.Finally, taps is played while the cemetery flag is lowered to half staff. Salutes included three rifle volleys, a musket volley, and a cannon.A bagpiper, after playing Lament for a Soldier, exits across the green grass, where the fallen lie eternally.The ceremony is over, and those visiting the cemetery fan out to pay their respects. The Marine Band remained seated for a bit of concluding music.A Navy officer walks down a cemetery driveway, which overlooks the channel entrance to San Diego Bay.Walls around the cemetery contain columbarium niches for cremated remains. Naval Air Station North Island and downtown San Diego are visible in the background.Walking along the columbarium. Its plaques identify loved ones.These two guys had bouquets in their backpacks. They are gazing along the Point Loma peninsula in the direction of Cabrillo National Monument.A deeply moving sight. Solemn rows of white on rolling green hills. Volunteers have provided every grave with an American flag and rose.Member of the next generation among those who came before.The living walk thoughtfully through Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.More grave markers and a small plaque nearby.The markers in this memorial area honor veterans whose remains have not been recovered or identified, were buried at sea, donated to science, or cremated and the ashes scattered.After the Memorial Day ceremony, some people linger to view the floral tributes and the flag-draped Casket of the Unknown Soldier. The plaque behind the rostrum contains President Lincoln’s famed Gettysburg Address.And now almost everyone has departed.Plaque near Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery entrance has lines from The Bivouac of the Dead, a poem by Theodore O’Hara.The main entrance plaque at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. The flag flies at half staff.Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is also a California Registered Historical Landmark.Several monuments near the cemetery entrance memorialize tragic events in U.S. military history, including ships lost in action.Flags in the breeze. A cloudy day. People atop the hill gaze down at the eternal ocean.Looking beyond grave markers toward a hazy blue horizon.A beautiful old tree rises from the Earth. Life persists.A slow, thoughtful walk.Youth replaces a red rose that was blown by the wind to the ground. He doesn’t realize that someone is watching.
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