Pre-Memorial Day Events Planned For Saturday In Southland

LOS ANGELES, CA — Over 5,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will place flags by more than 88,000 graves at the Los Angeles National Cemetery Saturday while pre-Memorial Day events will also be held at the Port of Los Angeles and Arcadia County Park.

The public is invited to join the scouts in placing the flags from 8-9 a.m. The flag placing will be preceded by patriotic music performed by the 20- member Los Angeles Boy Scout Band and a speech by World War II Purple Heart recipient Jimmy Weldon, best known for supplying the voice of Yakky Doodle on the animated series "The Yogi Bear Show."

The flags will remain in place until Tuesday, when the scouts will return to retrieve them and place them in storage for use next year.

A Memorial Day music festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. dockside to the battleship Iowa. The local groups Purple Sugar, Special Blend, Murder City Roadshow and DJ Pie are set to perform.

The festival will include a full-scale replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan, D-San Pedro, will be the keynote speaker at the 10:30 a.m. opening ceremony.

Admission to the festival is free. Self-guided tour admission of the Iowa will be free for all veterans, reservists, retired and active-duty military with valid identification. All guests accompanying military personnel will receive discounted $11 admission.

The 20th annual Tribute to Veterans and Military Families will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Arcadia County Park.

The event will include a Department of Defense pinning ceremony for Vietnam veterans, skydivers, performances by the Rock for Vets music therapy band and the U.S. Army's 40th Infantry Division Band, displays of military vehicles and equipment, a children's area, free manicures and haircuts, on-site job interviews for veterans and food trucks.

The event is hosted by Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

— City News Service, photo via Shutterstock