LA Observed
On Memorial Day, Thousands of Flags Adorn Veterans Cemetery
On Memorial Day every year, the Los Angeles National Cemetery features red and blue with a tradition of American flag planting next to every gravestone.
By Kevin Roderick • • 3m ListenChances are, you’ve glanced at it while stuck in traffic along the 405, between the Wilshire and Sunset exits. Or, maybe, like thousands of military families in Southern California and around America, you have a loved one buried there. The Los Angeles National Cemetery features more than 87,000 white headstones that drape the wavy green field just across the freeway from the Veterans Administration Complex. On Memorial Day every year, that sea of white and green also features red and blue with a tradition of American flag planting next to every gravestone. KCRW's Steve Chiotakis spoke to Kevin Roderick, editor of LA Observed.