San Diego commemorates Memorial Day with first-of-its-kind live streaming event

Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundations, Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, and USS Midway Museum to honor the nation’s heroes past and present through virtual tribute event

Posted on May 21, 2020

Memorial Day commemorations in San Diego are going virtual in 2020. With COVID-19 preventing large gatherings, four of San Diego’s most iconic locations are collaborating to hold the first online live streaming simulcast tribute on May 25 to honor fallen military heroes and salute today’s frontline heroes.

The Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundations, the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, and the USS Midway will each hold 15-minute tributes that will be seamlessly streamed live on Memorial Day from 9-10am at sandiegomemorialdaylive.com.

“We recognized that we would not be able to conduct our normal Memorial Day commemorations this year, so we built a partnership with four iconic San Diego sites to create a unique virtual commemoration that is the only one of its kind,” says Phil Kendro, a member of Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial Association’s Board of Trustees. “We feel that it’s important that we always honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country, as well as take the opportunity to give thanks to all of today’s frontline workers.”

This year’s online commemoration will be hosted by National University’s Director of Public Safety Outreach, reserve El Cajon police officer, and former San Diego news anchor, Marc Bailey.

The hour-long virtual tribute will include inspiring remarks from local civic and military officials, uplifting Memorial Day video messages from state and national leaders, bagpipe and bugler performances, wreath laying, and missing-man flyby. Event participants will adhere to social distancing requirements. No public spectators will be permitted at any of the commemoration locations.

“On a Memorial Day unlike any our country has experienced before, we hope that all who view this program will be inspired to take a moment to remember and pay their respects to our veterans and active duty military, and to their families who have sacrificed so much for our country,” says Carlos Inot, president and CEO of the Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation.

Commemoration Schedule (subject to change):

Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery

Speaker: Brig. Gen. Ryan Heritage – Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot

Event: Invocation: Capt. Terry Gordon – Command Chaplain, Navy Region Southwest
National Anthem: Lance Cpl. Megan Browning – 3^rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band
Flyby: San Diego Salute Formation Team

Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial

Speaker: Kevin Faulconer, Mayor, San Diego
Neil O’Connell – President, Mt. Soledad Memorial Association

Event: Tribute to fallen service members
Bagpipe tribute: Ian Kelly

Miramar National Cemetery

Speakers: Jared Howard – Director, Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries
Robert S. Brewer, Jr. – United States Attorney, Southern District of California

Event: Echo Taps (buglers): Cpl. James Dawson and Lance Cpl. Elisabeth Follman – 3^rd Marine Aircraft
Wing Band
Missing Man Formation Flyby: San Diego Salute Formation Team

USS Midway Museum

Speakers: Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar – Commander, Navy Region Southwest
David Nisleit – Chief of Police, City of San Diego

Event: Salute to fallen service members/75^th anniversary of the end of WWII
Wreath-laying tribute to fallen heroes

“This historic joint event will ensure that we will continue to remember and honor all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation,” says Mac McLaughlin, president and CEO of the USS Midway Museum. sandiegomemorialdaylive.com