Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to honor and remember the members of the five branches of the military who died preserving the freedoms granted us in the U.S. Constitution that we often take for granted.

Originally called “Decoration Day,” the commemoration began informally by Southern women decorating the graves of fallen Confederate soldiers. Renamed “Memorial Day” in 1868, May 30 was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any Civil War battle, and both Union and Confederate soldiers could be honored at the same cemetery on the same day. The National Holiday Act of 1971 enacted by Congress created a three-day weekend by formally placing the date on the last Monday in May. Some people feel that the perception that Memorial Day is the start of summer causes the meaning of the day to be lost.

That’s not true in Santa Clarita where patriotism runs high, especially on Memorial Day. Nearly 1,000 people attend the Memorial Day program at Eternal Valley Memorial Park. In addition, 1,000 Boy and Girl Scouts and Young Marines place approximately 6,000 flags on the graves of veterans at Eternal Valley. “If you go there the Saturday before Memorial Day, it’s a sea of flags,” commented Duane Harte, 2003 SCV Man of the Year and member of the SCV Veteran’s Memorial Committee. The non-profit committee was created in 1988 to organize a tribute to honor veterans on this special day.

“The main purpose (of the Memorial Day program) is to draw attention to the fact that we do have troops that have fought and died for our country,” explained Harte. “We do have troops that are currently fighting for our country. We want to make sure that those people are recognized. We don’t want their memories left in the dust.”

The committee spends nine months of the year planning the program to ensure that the presentations are appropriate, respectful and non-political. If you want to sit in one of the 850 chairs, you’ll need to arrive early for the one-hour program, which begins promptly at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 31. The number of chairs goes up every year and there’s still standing room only. The program begins with a fly over from World War II vintage Condor fighter planes, according to Bob Kellar, city councilmember and member of the Memorial Committee. Clergy from local churches and synagogues provide the invocation and benediction.

The Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band has been a faithful supporter of the Memorial Day program and plays all of the service hymns, as well as patriotic music. This year’s keynote speaker will be Pat Connelly, retired Navy Lieutenant Commander and the master of ceremony will be Bill Kennedy, retired Air Force Colonel. A touching tribute to World War II veterans of the Pacific Theatre will be a new addition this year.

The program that emphasizes respect and honor for deceased veterans ends with the Veteran’s Burial Squad firing a 21-gun salute and concludes with the playing of “Taps.” While “Taps” officially has no words, the most widely recognized version of lyrics concludes with these words: “Thanks and praise, For our days, ‘Neath the sun, Neath the stars, ‘Neath the sky, As we go, This we know, God is nigh.”

When the program is over, people wind their way up the hill to the Veterans Memorial Wall. Four community members are selected for the honor of reading the more than 800 names that are inscribed on the granite panels. “It’s a very emotional period,” noted Harte. “That’s what people come up there for. People come to listen for their loved one. It’s a nice ending to the event.” A bagpiper plays prior to the names being read and at the conclusion.

The committee decided to create the wall in 1988 and it took three years of fundraising and design work to have the wall finished by 1992.There were originally 77 names on the wall, and six times each year new names are inscribed. A nominal fee covers the engraving of the name, care of the wall, the flags and the Memorial Day program. Residents can have the name of a family friend or loved one engraved on the wall as long as the individual is a deceased veteran. The names of some of the original committee members, such as Chuck Clark and Andy Anderson, whose vision and hard work created the memorial, now are commemorated on the wall that they helped produce.

Another early committee member, Tony Marincola, 93, attends all the veterans’ events in the World War II uniform that he wore when he was discharged. A survivor of the Battle of the Bulge, Marincola only recently retired from the committee.

In the works is a capital campaign to raise money to illuminate the American flag during the night. In order to fly the flag 24/7 it needs to be lighted and the current solar system is insufficient.

The committee is trying to raise funds to provide the proper respect for the flag and the wall.

“Memorial Day raises awareness of the commitment of our veterans. It increases appreciation in our young people and makes them aware of the sacrifice of our veterans,” noted Kellar. The 1,000 young people who spend their time honoring the fallen veterans are instructed not only in proper flag placing procedure, but the reason that they are there.They don’t go hungry, though, because the SCV Elks long ago stepped forward to provide a hot dog lunch for all 1,000 of them.

“The service members are proud members of the U.S. community, and we want to make sure that’s how people remember them and honor them,” said Harte. Join the crowd that gets up early on a day that some say only heralds the start of summer and your heart will be filled with pride.

On Memorial Day parking is allowed all throughout Eternal Valley and by special permission on both sides of Sierra Highway, despite the no parking signs.