PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — After historic rainfall in Los Angeles, the cloudy skies gave way to a quiet, sunny morning, as the Pacific Palisades community came together Jan. 7 to honor and remember those lost in the Palisades Wildfires.
The ceremony began at American Legion Post 283, one of the few buildings spared by the catastrophic fires that ripped through the community one year earlier.
Community leaders, residents, first responders, military members and local, state and federal officials shuffled into the small, quaint building on La Cruz Drive to pay tribute to survivors and their families and to come together for the one-year anniversary of fires that devastated the community.
“When this all was going down, I saw a community coming together … it was very heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time,” said American Legion Post 283 Commander Joe Ramirez during ceremonial remarks.
The ceremony emphasized a somber mood with a private indoor white glove presentation of flags to survivors and invited guests; a retirement of the scarred flag that had flown atop the post’s flagpole outside during the wildfires with the dedication of a new flag; and a procession led by bagpipers to Village Green to honor those who lost their lives in the fires. The American Legion Post 283 was used as a refuge and community hub during the wildfires.
“This is a special place,” said Jim Craig, director and chair of the Palisades Long-Term Recovery Group. “For the last year, this has been a place, a bedrock for the community, but a home for people to return to before they saw the remnants of their homes. This is a place of hugs. It’s a place of love.”
The procession walked past the skeletons of historic buildings, like the 1924 Business Block building, still carrying burn scars, alongside newer construction in the neighborhood, as the community begins to rebuild. The procession continued toward Village Green, where surviving family members placed placards on easels and laid wreaths for their loved ones amidst the regrown greenery of the small park. All stood silent as a bell tolled 12 times for the number of victims lost in the Palisades Fire.
“This mission was deeply personal for the Los Angeles District,” said Lt. Col. Stephen V. Brooks, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles district. “Three of our employees lost their homes, and many more of our employees were displaced.”
We are immensely proud to have made a difference alongside our community and partner agencies in helping the community rebuild,” he continued. “We honor the twelve Palisadians who unfortunately lost their lives, and we will continue supporting local communities.”