Original Article by Mitch Lehman
EDITOR OF THE SAN MARINO TRIBUNE
The City of San Marino will host an acknowledgement of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27. The ceremony begins at 9:00 a.m. at the War Memorial in Lacy Park.
This year's ceremony will be marked by the words of Marilyn Long, the niece of San Marino native John Albert Karli. A United States Navy First Class Seaman, Karli was until recently buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii among the other "unknown" servicemen who lost their lives aboard the USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in December 1943 and later received the World War II Victory Medal and the American Defense Service Medal. Long will explain how a Department of Defense program allowed for her uncle's remains to be identified and given a proper military burial. Karli's name will soon be added to San Marino's War Memorial.
Brother Dennis Gibbs of the Community of Divine Love at San Gabriel's Church of Our Saviour will provide the opening and closing prayers for the event and San Marino High School senior Andrew Liu will discuss his recent commission into the United States Air Force Academy. United States Marine Corps 1st Lt. Garret Glazier will also explain his current status and training.
The Memorial Day event also includes a tribute to all local war veterans, and an acknowledgement of the now-53 San Marino residents who gave their lives defending the nation and its freedoms. Veterans in attendance will be encouraged to provide a brief summary of their military experience.
San Marino resident and veteran Bob Dini will lead the audience in the singing of patriotic songs.
The public is invited.