Pasadenans to Read Names of 320 Fallen Heroes in Solemn Memorial Day Ritual

In a powerful display of remembrance, the names of 320 fallen service members from Pasadena will be read aloud during the City’s upcoming Memorial Day Commemoration on Monday, May 27. 

This deeply reverent act, a centerpiece of the event, will serve as a poignant tribute to the local heroes who sacrificed their lives in defense of their country.

The names will be read at Memorial Park from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., honoring Pasadena’s fallen from major conflicts spanning World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the War on Terror and other military actions. 

Each name represents a life cut short, a family forever changed, and a community left to mourn. 

Among those to be remembered is U.S.A.F. Captain Joseph Harrison Kienholz, who remains missing to this day, his story underscoring the enduring impact of the sacrifices made by Pasadena’s service members.

The act of reading the names aloud carries deep symbolic significance, ensuring that the fallen are not simply remembered as a collective, but as individuals with their own unique stories and contributions. By giving voice to each name, the community affirms the value and significance of every life lost, and the profound debt of gratitude owed to these brave men and women.

The event will also feature a missing man formation flyover by the Condor Squadron, symbolizing those who never returned home, and funeral honors performed by the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, which maintains headquarters in Pasadena.

It will be open to the public.

The Pasadena Veterans Day Committee, in conjunction with the City of Pasadena, is organizing the Memorial Day Commemoration.