That reminds me of a talk show I was watching long ago, with Lee Marvin as a guest. The host said to Marvin, “I understand that you were awarded a Purple Heart.” for Lee’s service during World War ll. Marvin, who was wounded during the battle for Saipan, replied, “You’re not awarded a Purple Heart, you’re given one. I’d rather not have received it.” I’m looking back over several military oriented posts I’ve shared in the past, some of them directly concerning Memorial Day, in honor of those who “gave the last full measure of devotion” so the rest of us can enjoy the weekend. These are some of the places where they will be remembering the real meaning of the observance. (Thumbnail images)
They’ll be observing the day in the Presidio, where the old Military Hospital Building is. They once had a great Army Museum in this old building.
Soldiers gearing up for battle during the 1898 Spanish-American War. “Bully!”
The old Montgomery Barracks in the Presidio, dating back to the 1800s: The top picture, where the old Parade Grounds were, I took in 2007. Nice pickup truck in the earlier picture. If you’re wondering if it still runs, yes, it does.
When the Presidio was mostly closed to the Army:
A Memorial Day service in May of 1943 at the monument to the Unknown Dead at the Presidio Military Cemetery: (Vintage picture, San Francisco History Center)
San Francisco is first and always a navy town. This is a 1985 picture I took of the USS Enterprise, sailing into the Bay under the Golden Gate Bridge during the October Fleet Week.
The USS Tennessee sails into the Bay under an unfinished Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930’s, and the battleship USS Iowa sails out to the Pacific Ocean under the bridge in May of 2012: This was almost certainly the last time a battleship will sail under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Old Fort Mason, in a slide picture I took in 1985, and an update in 2018. The area is quiet now, but the amount of activity that went on here during the Second World War was incredible, and many military people left from here that didn’t make it. It’s those we honor this weekend.
A picture honoring survivors of the Bataan Death March on a marker at the old train stop building, still there, at Fort Mason:
They’ll be commemorating the weekend onboard CV-12, the USS Hornet in Alameda, as well.
The World War ll submarine, the USS Pampanito, will be remembering the 52 United States submarines with their crews that didn’t make it home during the war.
And the crew of the Liberty Ship, the Jeremiah O’Brien, held their Memorial Cruise last weekend. My pictures were during the 2018 Memorial Cruise. Next weekend, the Jeremiah O’Brien, a survivor of the 1944 Normandy Invasion, will be holding another event to honor the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
San Francisco Film Locations Then & Now 
Memorial Day is an odd one. Felton just celebrated its Felton Remembers Parade and Covered Bridge Festival on Saturday. It was fun and all, but seems like an odd way to ‘celebrate’ or observe Memorial Day. The ‘Flag Raising Ceremony’ that begins the Parade was mostly ignored, although the Boy Scouts who conducted it seemed to respect it. For most of us, Memorial Day is merely a day to add to a ‘three day weekend’ to justify a barbecue. The Events Calendar for Memorial Day in Los Gatos mentions only events to attend in ‘other’ Communities, including a Booze Cruise (seriously?!). Well, at least it gets more acknowledgement than Patriot Day.