Tag: veterans

Memorial Day weekend in Balboa Park.

It’s Memorial Day weekend in San Diego. As one might expect, the crowds in Balboa Park are large. Today the late spring weather was perfect for a sunny Sunday walk through our beautiful park.

As I wandered about, I discovered several signs that Memorial Day has arrived.

In the early afternoon I noticed a huge thirteen star Betsy Ross version of the Flag of the United States was being hung from one of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion’s colonnades. The flag was furnished by the San Diego Chapter SAR (Sons of the American Revolution.)

Unfortunately, wind gusts were creating an insurmountable problem and the flag was taken down before the two o’clock organ concert began. I’ve been informed another attempt to use the flag will be made during the upcoming Independence Day organ concert on Sunday, July 6, 2025.

Dale Sorenson, curator of the Spreckels Organ, was wearing a patriotic red, white and blue tie as he introduced the Sunday afternoon concert. Music selected was appropriate for Memorial Day weekend. There were–count them–five John Philip Sousa marches!

During the United States Armed Forces Medley, San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez asked audience members to stand who were Veterans. Those who stood received grateful applause.

Another perfect San Diego day…

Lawn bowlers were active out on Balboa Park’s West Mesa…

The Southern California Plumeria Society had a Cutting Sale inside the Casa del Prado…

Lots of tickets were being sold for the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad!

The San Diego History Center has a pop-up exhibit concerning Memorial Day in San Diego. There are interesting historical photographs to look at, such as:

A couple of cool guys were breakdancing near the Timken Museum of Art!

A Senior Arts Exhibition can be freely enjoyed in Gallery 21 of the Spanish Village Arts Center through June 2, 2025.

Musicians were performing on the grass at one end of the International Cottages…

Memorial Day is the final day of the San Diego International Fringe Festival. One of the festival venues is Balboa Park’s Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater.

A video playing inside the House of USA cottage is about Memorial Day. It honors those in the United States military who made the ultimate sacrifice.

As a writer, I’m very thankful for Liberty, and I have a deep appreciation for those who’ve defended it.

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Blue Star Memorial By-Way marker in Lakeside.

Sharp-eyed people walking through Lindo Lake County Park in Lakeside might notice an old marker in the grass, on the south side of the lake, not far from a large shelter structure. A close examination reveals that it is a Blue Star Memorial By-Way marker, placed by the Lakeside Garden Club. It is dedicated to the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

The marker was placed here almost 40 years ago. This Facebook post recalls: Fourth of July 1986, the Blue Star By‑Way Memorial Marker and star pine were dedicated in Lindo Park, Lakeside, California as part of the opening ceremonies of the Centennial Celebration of Lakeside. As the red, white and blue balloons were released into the sky at the end of the dedication. I think we all felt pride in a job “Well done”.

I noticed that earlier this year, when I spotted the marker, a new tree had been planted near it. Was this the location of the star pine? Anyone who knows more about this history, please leave a comment!

What is a Blue Star Memorial By-Way? Check out this Wikipedia page for an explanation.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

60,000 yellow ribbons on the USS Midway.

If you’ve seen the USS Midway Museum in the past few days, you’ll notice the historic aircraft carrier is covered with yellow ribbons.

I learned today that the approximately 60,000 ribbons honor the same number of members of the United States Armed Forces who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.

The ribbons, tied several days ago around the edge of the aircraft carrier, will remain in place through Memorial Day. Visitors who go to the flight deck’s information stand can ask to tie their own yellow ribbon.

I notice some of the ribbons have messages written upon them. Loved ones can be remembered in this way.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Veterans Day program in Balboa Park.

A special Veterans Day program was held this afternoon at Balboa Park’s International Cottages. The annual event was brought to San Diego by the House of USA.

I arrived a bit late. Guest speaker R. Ann Bush, University of San Diego professor and author of WAVES on the Potomac, was talking about the numerous contributions of women during World War II. Over 400,000 women helped the war effort in a wide variety of important ways.

Highlights of the Veterans Day program included a Dance Tribute of Vietnam, and a Fan Dance Tribute of Korea. Special tribute music was provided by Oceanna, a San Diego singer and songwriter. She sang “Be Strong, O Brother of Mine” in honor of the Veterans of WWII Bataan Death March and their families.

I took a few photos during this emotionally moving event.

R. Ann Bush speaks about the sacrifices made by women during World War II.

A beautiful Vietnamese cultural dance concerns American sailors.

Sons of the American Revolution was present for the Veterans Day event.

Biographies of individuals who’ve been awarded the Medal of Honor.

Heroes remembered.

Veterans of Foreign Wars, District 1, Department of California was on hand. To those who’ve fought for Freedom, thank you for your service.

VFW poppy pins.

Three members of organization Military Women Across the Nation. Thank you for your service.

I learned you can find these female military figurines, including Rosie the Riveter in her classic pose, on Amazon.

Learn about San Diego’s own Roberta “Randy” Tidmore, one of the original Rosey Riveters and World War II Veteran, by clicking here.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

The Art of Immortalizing Heroes in San Diego!

An extraordinary War Memorial can now be experienced inside the old Command Center building at Point Loma’s Liberty Station, former home of the Naval Training Center San Diego. The artistic Memorial is titled The Art of Immortalizing Heroes by PISANO Artistry.

A long hallway is filled with amazing three dimensional murals made primarily of painted drywall screws! Over 100,000 of them! The Memorial is also composed of thousands of dog tags and wooden stars.

On the wall opposite the 3D murals is a long corrugated panel that replicates both the Vietnam Memorial Wall and the Freedom Wall.

About 2000 volunteers in the military and San Diego community helped to make this War Memorial. It also celebrates Liberty Station’s Centennial.

The artist is Joe Pisano. He envisioned a Memorial for Veterans who haven’t been able to visit the War Memorials in Washington, DC. It honors all those who’ve served in the United States Armed Forces.

I’m so glad I discovered this Memorial on Veterans Day weekend, so that you can experience it, too.

Does this unique artwork appear familiar? I covered Joe Pisano’s drywall screw art in 2023 at the USS Midway Museum. See that old blog post, complete with a photo of Joe smiling, here!

Vietnam Conflict panel. Three soldiers returning from patrol.

Global War on Terrorism panel shows the Battlefield Cross in tribute to those lost in Iraq and Afghanistan..

Unsung Heroes panel. A variety of heroes, past, present and future.

World War I panel, with soldiers and a field of poppies.

Korean War panel of soldiers on patrol.

Funeral Honors panel, depicting Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

World War II panel, with Marines and Navy Corpsmen raising the flag at Iwo Jima.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Vietnam Veterans honored at Fleet Week San Diego.

Veterans of the Vietnam War are being remembered and honored in San Diego this Veterans Day weekend. A special display created for the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration can be viewed at Broadway Pier, all weekend through Monday during 2024 Fleet Week San Diego.

I came upon the commemoration display while walking inside the pier’s Port Pavilion.

The friendly people you see above told me all about this special recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. By official proclamation, the nationwide commemoration began on Memorial Day, May 28, 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day, November 11, 2025.

I observed posters and a visual timeline that help one recall a difficult time in world history. I learned that Vietnam Veterans have been receiving special lapel pins as a lasting memento of our nation’s gratitude for their sacrifice during the war. I also learned there’s an extensive Corridor Exhibit inside the Pentagon that tells the story of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. An online virtual tour can be found here.

Importantly, oral histories have also been preserved. Well over one hundred Vietnam Veterans have spoken of their personal experiences during the war. Their video recordings are collected on the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration website. If you’d like to listen to these oral histories, visit this web page. You’ll hear of pain, fear, courage, friendship.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Broadway Pier activity during Fleet Week San Diego!

Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego will be bustling with activity all this weekend. That’s because it’s 2024 Fleet Week!

The public can walk out onto the pier Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Veterans Day) and view a variety of displays by the United States military, in particular the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. The event began Friday afternoon, and I arrived in time to check it out.

The first thing one notices are United States Marine Corps combat vehicles and a gigantic howitzer. As I watched, active service members demonstrated the operation of the howitzer. Funny how operators must physically swab the bore after every shot, just as soldiers and sailors did with cannons in olden days.

Wandering about Broadway Pier, one can find a military working dog demonstration from Camp Pendleton, a robot demonstration, organizations that assist Veterans, and a multitude of food trucks near an outdoor entertainment stage.

The public can also tour a Coast Guard cutter and the USS Germantown, a huge amphibious dock landing ship.

I enjoyed exploring the Fleet Week Innovation Zone inside the pier’s Port Pavilion, where a bunch of booths were set up that promote STEM education. When I arrived, the day was drawing to a close and many of the booths were empty, which was a bit disappointing.

I did enjoy a very cool virtual reality simulation of operations aboard an aircraft carrier! Five visitors don VR headsets and become team members, landing and launching aircraft!

I also enjoyed speaking to friendly folks at the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration table, and viewing graphics concerning Naval history in California.

To learn all about the public ship tours and Fleet Week San Diego activities, which will include a Veterans Day Boat Parade on Monday, click here!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Vietnam Veterans honored at Fleet Week concert.

A fantastic event kicked off Fleet Week San Diego this evening. At the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, members of Navy Band Southwest joined members of Marine Band San Diego for a spectacular Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert!

The music was rousing, patriotic, and even jazzy at times. But the highlight of the concert occurred before a single instrument was played. A group of Vietnam Veterans were called to the front of the audience in order to be recognized and honored.

Each hero shook the hand of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and received a special cap and Vietnam Veteran Commemorative Pin. Then all who’d been recognized formed a line for photographs.

I took my own photos from a distant bench. You can see the appreciation and the smiles.

If you’d like to learn more about San Diego Fleet Week, which in 2024 runs until November 11, click here! There are free activities available to the public, including tours of Navy and Coast Guard ships!

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Photos of Rancho Bernardo Veterans Memorial.

The Rancho Bernardo Veterans Memorial is located in Webb Park. During a recent walk around small Webb Lake, I paused at the memorial to read plaques honoring military veterans who’ve sacrificed to defend our country and freedoms.

You can learn more about the Rancho Bernardo Veterans Memorial by visiting the Mission page of its website. You’ll read how the Veterans Memorial was designed and installed at a central location in Rancho Bernardo – Webb Park – and dedicated on 4 July 1994.

Engraved plaques along the sidewalk define the Patriots Walk. This feature, honoring veterans, was dedicated in 2022.

If you know of someone who ought to be included in the Patriots Walk, and you’d like to make a donation that goes toward maintaining the memorial, you can find a printable nomination form here.

These photos were taken on an overcast day.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

A young boy at the Memorial Day ceremony.

A very young boy came with his family and sat in the plastic chair beside my own this morning. The family had arrived for the Memorial Day ceremony, held on the flight deck of the USS Midway.

The small child was very fidgety. As speakers spoke solemnly of the sacrifice of others, and of very serious things like honor, duty, courage and dedication, the little boy wiggled about at the edge of my vision.

Lt. Col. Lynda Hilliard, an Army nurse, gave the keynote speech. As she talked about two wars and the sacrifice of other nurses who desired only to heal, the little boy thrust his arm in front of my face.

I was immediately irritated. Oh, come on, I thought to myself.

The boy was pointing toward something off to the right.

Then I heard the bird chirping. (Did you hear it, too?) I had been concentrating on the powerful words of the speech.

A small bird, perched atop a nearby helicopter, was just visible to the eye. The young boy had heard and seen it, and was taking joy in pointing it out to the world.

The boy was happy, living without a care in a world where he was free.

And it occurred to me: that Security, Freedom and its Happiness, in this old world filled with everlasting trouble, is a gift from those who have unselfishly sacrificed.

I gazed in wonder at that small chirping bird for a few moments, too.

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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.