Veterans Memorials in Long Beach

Long Beach has a long, proud history as a major naval, aviation and aerospace center for the US armed forces, making Memorial Day in the city that much more meaningful. There are numerous locations throughout the city that have either served or honor those who served and sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy today.

LONE SAILOR MEMORIAL

The Lone Sailor is a replica of an original statue located at the US Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. Still, this Long Beach version is fitting given that the city was once home to the Long Beach Naval Base and, though there are other Lone Sailor statues, the Long Beach version is the only one that looks out at the ocean. The bronze figure was placed at Bluff Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 13, 2004, the 229th anniversary of the US Navy.

BELMONT VETERANS MEMORIAL PIER

QUEEN MARY

Though well-known for having hosted English and Hollywood royalty, during World War II the Queen Mary (1126 Queens Hwy.) carried its most important passengers when it was converted to a troop ship. On one 1943 voyage, it carried 16,683 people, the greatest number of people on a floating vessel to that time. Nicknamed The Grey Ghost, because it was painted a drab gray as camouflage, it also carried Winston Churchill to a meeting with FDR and after the war, continued its service by transporting 12,886 European brides and children to the U.S. and Canada.

Credit: The Queen Mary

ROSIE THE RIVETER PARK MEMORIAL WALL

LONG BEACH VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL

Designed by a Long Beach City College art student, this memorial features a U.S. Army helicopter, known by veterans as Huey, that logged more than a thousand combat hours in Vietnam. The memorial, dedicated in 2000, is located at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.), 26-acres that includes a community recreation and senior citizen center as well as multiple baseball and soccer fields, playground, tennis and basketball courts as well as skate park.

MCDONNELL DOUGLAS VETERANS MEMORIAL

BATTLESHIP IOWA

The Iowa (250 Harbor Blvd., San Pedro) will be at the center of Memorial Day weekend activities, serving from May 26-29 as the focal point for Fleet Week, the annual celebration honoring the United States Sea Services.There will be many activities including military displays and equipment demonstrations of helicopters and tanks, aircraft flyovers, armed forces competitions ranging from cook-offs to dodgeball. There will also be plenty of live entertainment, and an Expo adjacent to the Iowa will have more than 80 exhibitors.

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Steve Lowery