Slowing down

Downey Daily will be nine years old next month. That's over 3,000 posts, nearly every day, mostly of Downey. Joan, Allison, and I started Downey Daily with the thought that it would force us to practice and improve our photography skills, with the added benefit of learning more about our city.

And we have. We've learned about Downey's history, going on history walks and poking around the old Rancho Los Amigos site. We've enjoyed more yard art than I ever imagined possible.

And along the way, we've met many wonderful people and made lots of new friends. Downey Daily has been our excuse to step into your lives and you've welcomed us with open arms. When Allison went back to school, her dad Steve took her place and added a new dimension by sharing your stories through Humans of Downey.

And we're finally running out of ideas. Keeping up with a picture a day is getting harder and harder. We're not ready to quit, but, like the two fellas above, we're ready to sit a while, go back to the beginning, enjoy what Downey has to offer—and some of the time, take a picture and blog about it.

So, we're slowing down. We won't be posting every day anymore, but hopefully, you'll enjoy our posts more when they come.

The peaceful path

Last week, Pam wrote about the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Downey Cemetery. While we were there, I couldn't help but appreciate the peaceful feel of the surroundings. The path that led us to the ceremony is curved and shaded with beautiful, mature trees.


There is something calming about walking through the grounds and reading about people who lived before us, many of whom sacrificed so we could have the freedoms we do today.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” 
~ Pericles

A peaceful path

Path: a road, way, or track made for a particular purpose. This week at DDP, we're focusing on paths.

On the gravestones in the Downey Cemetery, we often see the phrase "Rest in peace." This path, shaded by these old, old trees, contributes to a peaceful setting for those who come to visit.

"Like a good meditation practice, visiting a cemetery focuses our attention on what really matters; helping us to discriminate between what is true and lasting from what is transient, and of little importance."
~ Pythia Peay, Huffington Post

An old warrior

The last of the WWII vets stood to be honored at Monday's Memorial Day ceremony. And, I remembered the words "In gratitude to those who served."

We also spoke for a bit with a family whose brother had served in Vietnam and was one of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They continue to honor his service. And I remembered the words "In sorrow for those who lost their lives."

"Today let us, as Americans, honor the American fighting man. For it is he — the soldier, the sailor, the Airman, the Marine — who has fought to preserve freedom. It is his valor that has given renewed hope to the free world that by working together in discipline and faith our ideals of freedom will always prevail."
~ Admiral Forrest P. Sherman

In gratitude...in sorrow

 Today, we once again celebrated Memorial Day at the Downey Cemetery. Every year since I've started attending this ceremony, the quote on the Memorial Wall has touched me. This year, the quote was reflected in all who attended.

The turnout this year was large, but changing. The first couple of years I attended, there were WWI veterans in the crowd. This year, these men are gone, and there was but a single WWII veteran. Time passes, and the burden of serving moves on to the younger generations.

And the youngest generation was represented by Ward, Price, and Stauffer ASPIRE students, who sang "I'm Proud to Be an American." The quote was reflected in the words they sang—"And I won't forget the men who died, Who gave that right to me."

So for all of us this Memorial Day, remember—"In gratitude to those who served...in sorrow for those who lost their lives." 

Memorials

A memorial can honor one person, or many. At its simplest, a memorial might be just a headstone in a cemetery, such as the ones we've shown from the Downey Cemetery. Or, as in the wall above, it can honor the 1,102 seamen who died in the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. This wall is part of the USS Arizona Memorial, which sits just above the sunken ship.

"The Arizona is no longer in commission, but is an active U.S. military cemetery. As survivors of the attack on the Arizona pass away, many choose to have their ashes either scattered in the water over the ship, or have their urns placed within the structure of the ship reserved for the purpose. As a special tribute to the ship and her lost crew, the United States flag flies from the flagpole, which is attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship." (Wikipedia)

Soul Consoling Tower

Before I head back home, one last post from Manzanar. Here is an excerpt from one of the displays:
"Manzanar changed substantially between the day it opened in March 1942 and the day it closed in November 1945. Internees transformed the landscape with ponds and gardens. Families welcomed babies and mourned deaths. Schools educated students, internal security helped prevent crime, and the fire department extinguished fires. In its first anniversary issue, the Manzanar Free Press published an anonymous poem about the complexity of life at Manzanar:
    "Out of smiles and curses, of tears and cries, forlorn;
    Mixed with broken laughter, forced because they must...
    Out on the desert's bosom—a new town is born."

The film and the displays at the visitor center show this new town. There are old photos showing how the internees created beauty out of nothing. There were gardens everywhere, both for food and for beauty. (The internees grew much of their own food.) But almost nothing of the original buildings and gardens is left—the only thing still standing (that is, not reconstructed) is the cemetery.

Also from the displays:
"The Japanese Kanji characters read 'Soul Consoling Tower.' Master stonemason Ryozo Kado, a Catholic, and Buddhist minister Shinjo Nagatomi designed this iconic monument as a permanent tribute to Manzanar's dead. Kado built the obelisk with the assistance of Block 9 residents and a young Buddhists' group, funded by 15-cent donations from each family in camp."

There are only six graves left in the cemetery, because most families of the deceased, after they got resettled, came back and moved the remains of their loved ones for reburial elsewhere.

Living in liberty

White crosses are scattered around the cemetery. These are the veterans we are here to remember. As I walked across the grass to attend the Memorial Day service today, I was thinking of those brave individuals. 1.8 million have given their lives for America since 1775. And some of them are buried right here in Downey.

Today I found grave stones from those who served in the Civil War (both sides), the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember the fallen, those who gave their lives so that we might live with freedom and liberty. It is important that we take time to be intentional about honoring these fallen heroes and not forget their sacrifice.
































"On this Memorial Day, we honor the sacrifices of prior generations. We honor the sacrifices of the men and women next door who have served or continue to serve our country. And we pledge never to forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. We would not have the privilege of celebrating this day and honoring so many memories without the sacrifices of those who gave their last full measure of devotion." 
~ Walter Borneman

The optimist and the buddy

The cemetery at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where my friend is a graduate student, contains the graves of three sisters. The girls were Revolutionary War heroes as well as part of a family that was important in the university's history.

But what caught my eye were these two gravestones. I'm always curious about the stories behind the gravestones. And these two stones provide some interesting clues.

Doris Marie Seward, above, planned ahead. Her gravestone was already carved and ready for her death sometime this century. But, as her headstone shows, she was both optimistic and thrifty.

The other gravestone contains only a first name, "Buddy". He was 14 years old when he died, and I suspect that he was a beloved dog rather than a teenager who met an untimely death.

The man behind the marker—more to the story

A year ago, I posted a picture of a grave marker at the Downey Cemetery (The man behind the marker, Nov. 11, 2013). In that post, I speculated about Tony Gomez, the man buried there, and I used Google to fill in some possible information.

Imagine my surprise when Tony Gomez's grandson and his wife, Tony and Alma, contacted me earlier this week with more information. So, today's post contains a picture provided by Alma Gomez, along with more information about this man who served our country and made the greatest sacrifice.

"When my husband Anthony talks about his grandpa Tony, he talks about him being a war hero. We at the time only had one picture of him, and that was of him in his Army uniform. So wanting to know more information about this amazing man, I started my research.

"I found out that Tony Gomez was born on March 10, 1918, to Juan and Sarafina. He married Benita in 1940. They lived together in Denver, Colorado, and had two children, Gloria and Tony. He enlisted in the Army on July 26, 1943. When he left, he left behind a pregnant wife and a baby daughter.

"Tony Gomez was assigned to the 306 Infantry 77 Division. Although unclear, the story that has been told to us by family members is: Tony fell on top of a grenade to save his platoon. He was given the congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. I'm in the process of authenticating the story that has been told us. I'm just waiting to hear from the National Personnel Records Center, this is where they hold military personnel records. "

"While Tony Gomez was fighting, Benita wrote him a dear John letter. So when he died, they did notify Benita of his death but she did not claim his body. Therefore his brother and sister who lived in Paramount, California, claimed his body, and that is why he was laid to rest in California. Tony Gomez was a father of two and would have had seven grandchildren in total. Gloria had five children, Valerie, Louie, Abraham, Debra, and Gary. Tony had two children, Anthony and Adina."
~ Alma Gomez

Thank you, Tony and Alma, for sharing this story with us. And our thanks go out today to all the veterans who have served our country.

Remembering D-Day

One of the things I value at the annual Memorial Day Tribute ceremony at the Downey Cemetery is the time when we recognize veterans from different wars. When I first started attending the tribute a few years ago, there were a handful of World War II veterans. This year, there were just two.

WWII is becoming further and further away from our memories, transitioning from something we have personally experienced into "history," something we learn about only from books and movies.

Seventy years ago today was the "beginning of the end" of WWII in Europe, when the Allied forces invaded Normandy. Last year, we visited the American cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer and saw the thousands of graves of Americans who died in the invasion.

It's a good thing to keep the memory of that time alive, one way or the other. In the words of Rene Coty, President of the French Republic, "We do not forget, we shall never forget, the infinite debt of gratitude that we owe to those who have given all for our freedom."

Weird West Adams

I like "The City." For those of us who live in Downey, that means driving about 13 miles west to Los Angeles. Although I have explored many areas in the past few years, I find I know surprisingly little about LA.

This afternoon, a friend and I took a tour called "Weird West Adams." The tour was put on by Esotouric (offering bus adventures into the secret heart of Los Angeles). It was a fun way to learn a little local history. Our tour focused on the historical district of West Adams and crimes from the early 20th century. It gave me a new glimpse into the past and made me curious to know more.

One of the places we visited was the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, located just outside the heart of downtown. How had I never seen it? Founded in 1884, the cemetery stretches for 65 acres. According to Wikipedia: "The internments include pioneers and members of leading families who had a conspicuous place in Los Angeles institutions and the state." It was also intriguing to find many headstones for soldiers who served in the Spanish American War (1898).

It had me rethinking about the importance of having a memorial marker of some kind. It offers a tangible way of remembering a loved one and it helps us gain a sense of the past.

The man behind the marker

Last weekend, thinking about the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, I walked through the Downey Cemetery and noticed this gravestone.

Tony Gomez was born at the end of the first World War, the Great War. And he died at the end of the second World War. I've always wondered at the history behind the people buried here, and now, thanks to the internet, we can fill in some of the blanks.

Based on U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, Tony Gomez enlisted as a private in the army in Colorado, in July 1943. He was 25 years old, with a grammar school education. He was married. In his civilian life, he was a driver of some sort. He rose to the rank of Technician Fifth Grade, the equivalent of a corporal. The cross on his gravestone indicates that he most likely served as a chaplain's assistant. In this role, he would have cared for the chaplain’s official property, acted as his clerk, and helped with the educational, religious, and general entertainment programs.

The 306 Infantry 77 Division served in the Pacific during World War II. At the time that Private Gomez was killed, his unit was "...fighting its way slowly against extremely heavy Japanese resistance."

These are the facts that possibly apply to Tony Gomez. But I still wonder. How did he come to be buried in Downey, California? Did he leave behind children in addition to his wife?

And did he know how much his sacrifice would be appreciated by the generations that have come after him?

Remembering those who served

"On Memorial Day, we honor all those who have fallen by remembering their noble sacrifice for freedom. We also pray for our troops, their families, and for the peace we all seek."

This quote is taken from the program from today's Memorial Day Tribute at the Downey Cemetery. The ceremony was made more meaningful for me today after my visit earlier this month to the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach. The cemetery holds the graves of more than 9,000 American soldiers who gave their lives in the effort to free Europe in World War II.

The  Downey Cemetery isn't nearly as large, but the grave of each veteran is marked with a cross and a flag, and it's humbling to realize how many of those who are buried here have sacrificed to serve their country. Thank you to all who serve.

We will never forget

Visiting the Normandy American Cemetery was a sobering experience. Approaching the cemetery, all you see is row upon row of white marble crosses. The American Cemetery is the final resting place for 9,387 of our military dead.

Walking through the never-ending crosses, I noticed a ceremony at the flagpoles. I recognized the same baseball caps I had seen in Memorial Day celebrations on the heads of the old soldiers in Downey. The caps identify them as soldiers and where they fought and served.

This was a gathering of some of the D-Day soldiers who had survived and came back to honor their fallen comrades.

"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifice."
~ Harry S. Truman, President of the United States

Omaha Beach

"The battle belonged that morning to the thin, wet line of khaki that dragged itself ashore on the Channel coast of France."
~ General Omar N. Bradley, U. S. First Army Commander

Almost 70 years ago, on June 6, 1944, over 5,000 vessels—the largest invasion force in history—stood out to sea just off the shore of Normandy, awaiting the signal to land in Europe and start the long task of beating back Hitler's army.

Two American infantry divisions and nine companies of U.S. Army Rangers were tasked with taking the 6-mile stretch of beach code-named Omaha, above. Between them and some semblance of safety lay 200-300 yards of beach that offered no protection from the German snipers.

Very little went according to plan. Landing craft were swamped by the rough seas before they reached the beach. Seasickness was prevalent among the troops waiting offshore. Smoke and mist obscured the landmarks they were to use in guiding themselves in, while a heavy current pushed them continually eastward. The pre-landing bombardment was ineffective, so as the boats approached within a few hundred yards of the shore, they came under increasingly heavy fire from automatic weapons and artillery. (Wikipedia)

American casualties were estimated at 2,400. Many of these are buried at the American Military Cemetery that overlooks Omaha Beach. In the words of Rene Coty, President of the French Republic, "We do not forget, we shall never forget, the infinite debt of gratitude that we owe to those who have given all for our freedom."

I really do want world peace

Looking at the faces of the people who attended the Memorial Day Tribute at the Downey Cemetery was a reminder to me that this day is about people.

There was a sea of hats among the group, with tours of duty proudly displayed... Korea, Vietnam, World War II. Service to our nation is a proud tradition. I was moved. I felt like I was surrounded by people who protected my country. It's something I don't want to ever take for granted.

As you look out over the cemetery, small flags mounted on white crosses mark the graves of the fallen and the veterans buried here.

On Memorial Day we join together to honor those men and women who have fallen. We do this by remembering their sacrifice.

Please take a minute to remember to pray for our troops and for peace.

More than self

A couple of years ago, I saw an article about a Memorial Day tribute at the Downey Cemetery. I thought, aha! a good photo op for Downey Daily Photos.

Two years later, the annual Memorial Day Tribute has become a regular and meaningful part of my Memorial Day traditions.

Music is just one part of the Tribute ceremony. From the moving words of "America the Beautiful" (above, Jim Higuera, Commander of the American Legion Post 270, is mouthing the words along with singer Sheila Jacobs) to the haunting melody of "Taps," the music reminds us of those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms.

    O beautiful for heroes proved
    In liberating strife.
    Who more than self their country loved
    And mercy more than life!

More tomorrow...

Click here for pictures from previous years.

Out of desperation, hope

In our local cemetery there is a group of old tombstones depicting very similar pictures such as baby shoes and little angels. Each of these headstones record a birth and a death only a few months apart, all around the late 1940s and a few into the late 1950s. Right around the baby boom period a lot of infants were buried here. I can only assume it was a polio epidemic which ended when the vaccination was discovered. It's so sad to think about, but it really makes me appreciate the scientists working on all the pain in this world.

Barry L. Plotz

Cemeteries can be somber places, full of the ghostly echoes of lives lived and lost. We've returned numerous times to the Downey cemetery, and last week I showed you the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

But today, to continue our unintended Halloween theme for the week, I want to show you my local neighborhood cemetery—one with a sense of humor (click on the picture to see the fine print), and apparently lots of room for expansion.