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Southern California will host several Memorial Day events on Monday (May 26) to honor fallen service members. One notable event is the Paramount Elks Club's annual "Honoring and Remembering" ceremony at Veterans Memorial Plaza in the Civic Center. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and will include a roll call of deceased veterans, recognition of veterans in attendance, the playing of "Taps," and a wreath-laying ceremony. Refreshments will be available afterward at the Elks Club.
This year's event follows the vandalism of the "Battlefield Cross and Soldier" statue at the Paramount Armed Forces Memorial. The life-size memorial, installed in November, portrays a kneeling soldier paying tribute to a fallen comrade. Just days before Memorial Day, parts of the statue, including the rifle and hat, were sawed off and stolen, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons expressed her disappointment, stating, "Shame on you for hurting the hearts of people whose hearts have already been devastated through loss."
The city plans to repair the statue, but it will not be ready for the Monday ceremony. Mayor Lemons urged anyone with information about the vandalism to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lakewood Station.
Other Memorial Day events in the area include parades in Canoga Park and La Cañada Flintridge, and ceremonies at various cemeteries, parks, and city halls. The Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade will start at 11 a.m. at Sherman Way and Owensmouth Avenue, while the La Cañada Flintridge Parade will also begin at 11 a.m. at Cornishon Avenue.