Today is a day to honor those brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. It is a day to pause and to remember.
Memorials, and the City of Pasadena has a lot of them, too often blend seamlessly into the background of our lives. The flagpole at the corner is just a flagpole. We don’t stop to read the dedication to those whose lives were sacrificed in war. The roses at the edge of the park are just roses. We don’t notice that they are arranged in outline of a certain letter and that they tell of a time when “Victory” was a rallying cry not just for Americans, but also for Allies overseas.
East Pasadena’s largest and most used park, Victory Park, was dedicated in 1952, “as a living memorial to those who fell in World War II.” This picture, taken early this morning under suitably overcast skies, shows the “V” shaped rose garden at the corner of Paloma St. and Altadena Dr.
Behind the “V” is the Gold Star Mothers Flagpole and plaque inscribed “In remembrance of those who made the supreme sacrifice during World War II.”
The large boulder in front of the flagpole stands in memory of Medal of Honor recipient Joe Hayashi, whose extraordinary heroism in combat is recounted here and here.
The above photo from the early 1950’s was taken from approximately the same vantage point as this morning’s photo. This is the corner of Paloma St. and present day Altadena Dr., which was formerly named North Foothill Blvd.
Following World War II, the City formed a War Memorial Committee to survey different options for a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II. A living memorial, Victory Park, was ultimately chosen. That story, along with playground construction courtesy of the Kiwanis Club, was nicely told in a post by Ann Erdman (Pasadena PIO).
Over 30+ years in Pasadena, I’ve spent a lot of time at Victory Park. But not until I started this blog did I notice the “V” of roses at the corner or stop to read the plaques. As I walked the park early this morning it was already alive with volleyball games, soccer games and kids in the playground.
Sometimes a living memorial is so alive that the memory of its founding is all but lost. I think that’s the case with Victory Park. And, I think that would probably be OK with the Greatest Generation that built the park.
But, it is not OK for us. We must remember the horrors of war, honor those who have served this country and especially honor the memories of those who made the supreme sacrifice.
I hope you can take a moment to follow some the links in this post. Or even better, next time you are at Victory Park, walk over to the “V” and take a moment to reflect and be grateful.
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