NORWALK — Online tributes marked Memorial Day celebrations in a handful of southeast cities which steered clear of physical observances fearful of the lurking coronavirus that has killed more than 2,000 people and infected more than 47,000 in the region.
Norwalk’s City Council pre-recorded and transmitted an 11-minute video on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and local television channels featuring Mayor Jennifer Perez, who paid respects to members of the U.S. armed forces — the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Army — in front of the city’s Freedom Memorial outside City Hall.
“Today, and every day, the city of Norwalk honors its fallen heroes and surviving veterans,” said Perez, who asked viewers to observe one moment of silence and laid a memorial wreath outside City Hall.
Paramount honored its war heroes with a virtual Memorial Day vommemoration page on its website, added information about the history of Memorial Day, and posted statements from Mayor Peggy Lemons and council members, with links to crafts and activities for families and children to do at home.
South Gate uploaded its own virtual holiday program with tips on how to honor fallen military personnel, a segment describing Memorial Day history and links to two armed forces salute videos from 2018 and 2019, with speeches from Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff, and Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff.
