The honorable memories

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Cheif

June 4, 2013

After the Memorial Day tribute concluded at the Downey Cemetery on May 27, Anthony Munoz puts up a peace sign as he kneels by the grave of his uncle, Gabino Munoz, to remember and acknowledge his legacy. Gabino Munoz was wounded in action in Germany during WWII, and received a Purple Heart.

On Memorial Day a morning memorial day tribute was held at the Downey cemetery where local citizens and war veterans came to honor those who passed defending this country.

The ceremony opened with attendees rising for the Pledge of Allegiance and was followed by a small speech about the history of the Memorial Day Tribute by Diane Boggs, the head of the cemetery board.

The tribute was started by a group called American Legions—a large organization of war veterans. They would come to the cemetery and construct their own ceremony to commemorate the lost veterans. After wanting to make this cemetery an official tribute they went to the cemetery board with the idea and together they formed the Memorial Day Tribute that has now been going on for over 20 years.

Boggs explained that this memorial service is an important tradition which is why the cemetery board continues to carry on this service.

“I think sometimes we forget how we get to be who we are in this country,” Boggs said. “That’s why we like to keep tradition going.”

A part of the tradition of the ceremony is to have local members of the American Legion come up to speak. The veterans gave poignant speeches on their pride they have for their nation. The speeches ranged from poems about American honor to war stories about invading Japan.

Ken Drake, an American Legion member, spoke a little bit about his achievements in the war to the crowd and how he enjoyed being at the service.

“I’ve put 33 years in the Navy,” Drake said. “I received an award from President Bush for having the most community service hours in the west and that makes me proud to be here for my country.”

The citizens who attended the tribute were there to honor their loved ones who are either currently in the military or have served in the military in the past, making the ceremony an emotional event for all.

Karen Rodriguez, a citizen of Downey, attended the Memorial Day Tribute to recognize the veterans and also the men and women still in the army today, one of those being her son.

“I really wanted to come to honor these men who risk their lives for our freedom,” Rodriguez said, “and because I have a son in the Army right now, it definitely helps me realize how important this day is.”

The Memorial Day Tribute ended with a rifle salute and taps by trumpeters scattered around the cemetery. The audience rose and applauded to honor the war veterans as they took the stage once more in their military uniforms.

Memorial Day Tribute allows men and women to gather around the white crosses planted at the veterans’ grave stones to recognize those who fought for the freedom of America. The tradition will continue to be held to celebrate the brave men and women who built the foundation of the United States.

About the Contributors

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Cheif

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Downey Legend, stepped into the world of journalism 3 years ago as a sophomore. After a great deal of persuasion from her two best friends, who were on staff at the time, Dixon-Slaughter submitted her application at the semester and was welcomed shortly after. “I love writing and always have,” Slaughter said, “but I’ve always stuck strictly to literature so branching out into a different style and type of writing has helped me develop as a writer.” Although writing essays and covering stories can be polar opposites, the writer adjusted without much trouble. During her time at The Downey Legend, she has covered numerous stories, fiddled with the camera, and established the newspaper’s credibility on social media. She is competent enough to know what it takes to have efficient deadlines; all Slaughter has to do now is to guide her staff in that direction. If the writer is not covering stories happening around school, she is still somehow always somewhere on campus. Juggling AP classes, an ASB position, and her role in newspaper, Slaughter often finds herself with a hectic schedule. This being said, when genuine free time presents itself, she takes full advantage of it. “I love getting lost or ending up in places spontaneously because it feels so great to not have an agenda sometimes,” Dixon-Slaughter said. While the senior is busy getting ready for college and balancing out the rest of her responsibilities, she hopes to provide the staff with an exemplary example of the amount of greatness that can rise from commitment.

Bianca Salgado, Community Editor

As the new school year begins, The Downey Legend has acquired a range of new assets to the team. Bianca Salgado, 12, is the new Community Editor and photographer. Salgado hopes to improve her photography as well as being more involved in the community. “I hope to be a positive asset to the team and successful in what I am taking on,” Salgado 12, said. Besides participating in the online publication, she enjoys the arts. The senior enjoys singing and drawing in her spare time and aspires to one day become a singer. Anime is her favorite type of drawing because it is different and harder to do than regular cartoons. Besides singing and drawing, she hopes to attend USC after high school and major in law to eventually become a lawyer. From photography to law, Salgado hopes to make her last year in high school a successful one in all ranges.