26th Annual Memorial Day Ceremony Scheduled for May 30th at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park

For 26 years, hundreds of patriotic community members have come together on Memorial Day at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, a local Dignity Memorial® provider, to honor American heroes who died fighting for their country. This year’s complimentary event, which is expected to draw thousands of visitors, will be held May 30th and begin with a band concert performed by the renowned Air National Guard Band of the West Coast and the Dixieland Tailgators beginning at 10:30 a.m. Hosted by Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, the event will be held in the Garden of Valor at 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, in Westlake Village.

“It is fitting that our nation chooses the last Monday in May as Memorial Day, a day which has come to mark the beginning of summer. What could be a more fitting tribute to men and women who died in service to their country than the day that gives birth to a season filled with warmth and life?,” said Tamara Eacker, general manager of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park. “We owe each of them the highest regard, respect, and honor – and the assurance that their commitment to this Nation’s freedom will never be forgotten. We are proud to host this event that brings families and friends throughout our community together.”

Arriving guests will be greeted by an avenue of large American flags and a virtual carpet of red, white and blue formed by the more than 1,400 flags placed by scouts at the graves of veterans buried in the Garden of Valor and throughout the memorial park. An assembly bugle call and a fly-over will open the event followed by greetings from Robert Melsness, Colonel, USAF, (Ret), past president of Conejo-Simi Valley Chapter, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), and Tammy Eacker, General Manager, Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks. Major Gary Dickey, United Methodist Church of Westlake Village, will provide the invocation.

A special Memorial Day choir with singers from the Village Voices Chorale, United Methodist Church of Westlake Village, The Valley Harmony Singers, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Temple Judea and the Los Robles Children’s Choir & Forever Young Singers will perform throughout the ceremony, under the direction of Gloria Hilliard. The 23rd Marines Color Guard will post colors. In addition, representatives from all five branches of services, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Civil Air Patrol, MOAA, and piper Wally Boggess are scheduled to participate.

Pierce Brothers will have collection boxes for Cell Phones for Soldiers near the water tables where community members can donate gently used phones and accessories. The phones are recycled to provide cost-free communication services to active duty military members and veterans.

The 26th annual Memorial Day ceremony is produced by members of the Conejo-Simi Valley Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Conejo Valley Chapter Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW), the DiRaimondo Chapter No. 750 of the Military Order of the Purple Hear (MOPH), the Eric Huberth Post No. 1139 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Eagle Corps, the 23rd Marines, 2nd Battalion, Camarillo Composite Squadron 61, Group 4, California Wing, USAF Civil Air Patrol, Village Voices Chorale, United Methodist Church of Westlake Village, Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Temple Judea, The Valley Harmony Singers, Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park, and other civic-minded individuals and organization.

For information on the Memorial Day ceremony or about Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park, please call 818.889.0902.

About Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park

Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Memorial Park, Mortuary and Crematory, FD 1344 Westlake Village, Calif., is a proud Dignity Memorial provider. The Dignity Memorial network of more than 1,800 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers is North America’s most trusted resource for funeral and memorialization services. Dignity Memorial providers offer an unmatched combination of products and locations serving families with care, integrity, respect and service excellence. For more information, call (818) 889-0902 or visit http://www.piercebrothersvalleyoaks.com.