Love, liberty and loss at Green Hills' Memorial Day ceremony

Generations of families scarred by war’s bloody toll joined military veterans, enlisted service members and others Monday at Green Hills Memorial Park in somber observance of the heroic sacrifices made in the name of freedom.

A few thousand people attended the 31st aual Memorial Day ceremony on the lawn of the sprawling Rancho Palos Verdes cemetery. Among them was the family of Harbor City Marine Cpl. Roberto Cazavez, killed four years ago by an improvised-explosive device while he rode in an armored vehicle through Afghanistan.

“It’s a beautiful ceremony but I’m very sad inside,” said his mother, Maria Cazavez, who attended with her son and daughter.

“He died doing what he loved,” said her son, Earvin Cazavez, who was especially touched by a rendition of “Amazing Grace.” “He wanted to serve the country. He wanted to go overseas and fight. We still miss him.”

Cazavez applied for U.S. citizenship shortly before his deployment, and was granted it after his death on March 30, 2012.

All service branches were honored at the ceremony with flag presentations, a 21-gun salute, an orchestra performing medleys of military songs, bagpipe players, the Patriot Guard Riders, a CJ-6A aircraft missing-man formation fly-over, a benediction and the release of white doves.

Keynote speaker U.S. Navy Rear Admiral James T. Loeblein, commander of maritime Carrier Strike Group 1, said military recruits “sign a blank check payable with their lives to the American people.”

“Today we celebrate the lives and sacrifice of those amazing heroes — real heroes whose blank checks were cashed in defense of this great nation. Roughly 1.1 million people in total over 200-plus years gave their lives in service to this nation. Every one of these great Americans had a name, had a face, and had a family.”

Sue McLeavy cried, remembering her stepfather, a Korean War veteran who went to the Memorial Day ceremony every year until he died about five years ago.

Noting his burial plot is near the hill where the aual service takes place, McLeavy said: “He’s got a front-row seat now. I feel like he’s here. We’re here representing him, and I think he would be very happy to see his whole family here for him.”

Harbor Area U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn and state Assemblyman David Hadley joined other local elected officials at the ceremony, including state Sen. Isadore Hall and City Council members.

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Hahn reminded attendees that there are still political battles to fight to help veterans struggling with lingering mental and physical challenges from their service.

“In the midst of our Memorial Day barbecues, services like this give us the opportunity to pause and thank service men and women,” Hahn said. “Every day in this nation, 22 veterans commit suicide.”

Loeblein asked the audience to meditate on the American flag’s enduring symbolism.

“Liberty, freedom, democracy and justice are not just words in a history book,” Loeblein said. “These are the ideals that set this nation apart. Ideals which are appropriately encapsulated in our nation’s flag.

“What do you see when you look at the flag? Some see the mighty red, white and blue. Others see the stars and stripes. You know what our fallen military heroes and their families see in that American flag?

“They see the red and white stripes that represent the blood and sweat that they left on the battlefield or on the ships that were destroyed in World War II. In the stars, they see tears for fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. And tears for family members that they will never see again. In other words, an America forged by blood, sweat and tears.”