West Covina honors fallen at Memorial Day ceremony; three names added to veterans memorial

West Covina held a Memorial Day remembrance event at the city plaza where elected officials, veterans groups and families honored those who died in military service and added names to the city’s veterans memorial.

The ceremony opened with a flag posting and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor Pro Tem Lotte Lopez Iado, and included musical performances by Celeste Frio and Raya Zelaya. Acting City Manager Mylene Marakic and Mayor Tony Wu offered remarks urging the community to remember the stories of those who served. Mayor Tony Wu said, “Let us remember those great souls not just as a lamp carving in a stone, but as a son, daughter, husband, wife, neighbor, and friend.”

The event included a prayer from Pastor Samuel Martinez, who urged the crowd to “honor our fallen heroes” and quoted Abraham Lincoln saying the nation should take “increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.” Former Mayor Lloyd Johnson recounted the community effort to build the memorial and introduced other speakers who described research that led to adding names to the wall.

Senator Susan Rubio, speaking on behalf of the California State Senate, reflected on family and long-term impacts of service. Rubio said that many who returned from war “were never the same” and called out the sacrifices of military families and Gold Star families. The senator also presented certificates of appreciation to local veterans and volunteers.

Historian Corliss Reneke and members of the West Covina Historical Society described efforts to identify missing names. The ceremony noted that William Thomas Lang (also referred to as Bill Lang), Homer Hobart Cushman and Jack Winton Wilkie were newly added to the veterans memorial; family members of Jack Wilkie spoke at the event and Terry Banco, a cousin of Wilkie, told the crowd the family had learned of the addition “two days ago” and expressed gratitude.

City staff and veterans organizations read names on the memorial spanning World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf and Afghanistan conflicts. The city also displayed a table and symbolic items honoring prisoners of war and those missing in action and acknowledged local first responders, school musical ensembles, and volunteers who helped organize the event.

The ceremony closed with a playing of taps, a moment of silence and a group photograph at the memorial. Organizers encouraged continued community remembrance and education about the sacrifices of service members.

The city did not record any formal votes or ordinance actions at the event; it was a commemorative ceremony. Details about future follow-up or additions to the memorial were not specified during the program.