USS San Francisco Memorial
Weekend Ceremony

May 25^th Ceremony Overlooking the Pacific

 Honors Historic WWII Ship and Her Crew

The USS San Francisco Memorial Foundation’s Annual Memorial Ceremony will be held at noon on May 25^th, 2008, the Sunday of the Memorial Day Weekend. The 58^th annual ceremony will take place at the USS San Francisco Memorial Monument at Lands End, located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where the U.S. Navy heavy cruiser fought during WWII.

An annual event since 1950, attendance at this year’s ceremony will draw veterans, families and supporters from Northern California and beyond. Brigadier General Emory J. Hagen III and LT. Raymond “Hap” Halloran will attend this year. State Senator Leland Lee has been a loyal attendee of the ceremony and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has been invited to attend. The ceremony is free and open to all and there is plenty of free parking.

THIS YEAR’S SPEAKER IS

Col Richard C. McMonagle  USMC ----------------------------------------------------introduced

By Major Ted Wong USMC (Res)---------------------------------------------------------------------

Veteran-Chair of Special Honor---Vincent Rios USMC (Ret)

Honored Guest to attend.

Emory J. Hagan lll – Brigadier Gen., Calif. State Military Reserve (CSMR)

LT. Raymond “Hap” Halloran-US Army-Air Corps-POW-WW ll

Built  at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in San Francisco Bay, USS San Francisco (CA38) was a participant in almost every Pacific battle from Pearl Harbor to the end of WWII. In the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, on the night of November 12/13, 1942, San Francisco native Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan was killed along with 107 other sailors and Marines on board the ship.  As a result of the courageous actions of the USS San Francisco sailors in this battle, President Roosevelt originated the Presidential Unit Citation Award. The USS San Francisco was the first recipient and went on to earn a total of 17 Awards through the end of the war.

Each year, Memorial Day puts aside politics, praises patriotism, honors our departed veterans and remembers their sacrifices for the freedoms we all now enjoy. Attending the USS San Francisco Memorial Ceremony is a wonderful way to say, “Thank you, Veterans.”

For more information, Chief Johnny Johnson, Pearl Harbor Survivor and President of the USS San Francisco Memorial Foundation, can be reached at 415-264-3339 (cell).