Memorial Day 2009 -
Burbank, California
Dedication of Larry
L. Maxam Memorial Park
On
Monday May 25, 2009, we attended a
Memorial Day Ceremony at
McCambridge Park, in Burbank,
California. The City of Burbank and
its Veterans Commemorative Committee
jointly sponsored the event, which
attracted over five hundred people.
This year, the theme of the event
was, “A time of song, word,
remembrance and celebration”.
After
a stirring prelude by the Burbank
Community Band, the
Condor Squadron, based in
Van Nuys, California, conducted a
flyover, with a squadron of their
fully restored North American
AT-6/SNJ World War II vintage
aircraft. A frequent sight over
such events in Southern California,
the Condor Squadron’s flyover
saluted the men and women of our
armed forces, and honored the
sacrifices they have made. With
their powerful radial engines
thrumming a heartfelt beat, the
flyover added excitement and drama
to the day’s events.
Ms.
Pat Walmisley then led the crowd in
a rendition of “God Bless America”
that would have made Kate Smith
proud. Next was the Presentation of
Colors, by the Second Battalion 23rd
Marines, a reserve infantry
battalion under the command of the
23rd Marine Regiment and the 4th
Marine Division. After the National
Anthem, Flag Salute and Invocation,
the ceremony paid tribute to every
Burbank-related service person that
lost their life during World
War II, the Korean War, the
Vietnam War, the Iraq War and the
War in Afghanistan. While the crowd
listened to the reading of names of
those lost in war, we watched the
Ceremony of the Rose.
During the ceremony, a group of Boy
Scouts and Cub Scouts placed a
single rose for each of the deceased
on a monument in that special corner
of the park.
Following the remarks of the city’s
mayor, state and congressional
legislators, Mr. Mickey DePalo, the
head of the Burbank Veterans
Commemorative Committee stepped
forward to re-name Pacific Park in
honor and memory of United States
Marine Corporal
Larry L. Maxam, a
posthumous recipient of the
Congressional Medal of Honor.
Corporal Maxam died February 2,
1968, at Cam Lo District, Quang Tri
Province, Vietnam.
It pleased us when Mr. DePalo
read
some of the words
that we and other classmates had
composed in memory of our
classmate and friend, Larry
Maxam. However, the moment of
greatest drama came when Staff
Sergeant Rosal, of the
Second Battalion 23rd
Marines
stepped forward to read
Corporal Maxam’s Medal of Honor
citation, attributed to then
President Richard M. Nixon.
As we listened in rapt attention,
Larry Maxam’s spiritual
brother-in-arms read the full text
of the citation. Sergeant Rosal’s
voice did not falter as he described
how Corporal Maxam single-handedly
protected his unit from enemy fire.
Attendees who did not already know
the full story, learned that
Corporal Maxam succumbed to his
wounds on the battlefield. As he
departed the podium, Sergeant
Rosal’s military bearing was in
keeping with the respect and honor
he bestowed upon his fellow Marine.
Only his eyes betrayed his emotions.
In fitting honor of his service to
the United States of America, the
City of Burbank then rededicated old
Pacific Park as the new
Larry L. Maxam Memorial Park.
In Larry's honor, the City of
Burbank included $25,000 in its
2009-2010 capital budget for
installation of appropriate memorial
signage and landscaping.
We hope that Larry Maxam, the man
and the soldier will live on in the
memories of all who cherish freedom
and love these United States. If
good planning and good fortune
prevail, we hope to attend
festivities associated with the
park’s official opening on Veteran’s
Day, 2009.
After
recent publicity about the Larry
Maxam story, two more of Larry's
classmates at Burbank High School
have stepped forward. Here are
their thoughts about Larry Maxam.
Classmate Deanne Adams Taylor said,
"I knew Larry
Maxam very well. In fact, he took
it upon himself to be sure I was
safe. He went to the same church as
I did and whenever we had a dance,
he was close by to be sure the young
men treated me kindly. He was
always kind to me and made me feel
very special. I felt badly that I
was not more attentive to him, as a
friend. He was just a good person.
When I read about his heroic deeds
during the Vietnam War, I was so
proud of him. He had a big heart
and cared deeply about other
people."
Classmate Eddie Morton (1948-2023),
BHS Class of '66 added an air of
mystery to the events surrounding
Larry’s death, when he said,
"I knew Larry
had been killed in action because I
had read about it in the Burbank
Review back in '68. It happened
around Tet of '68. About ten years
ago, I was in Washington, D.C. and
read in something at the Library of
Congress that he (Larry Maxam) died
at "Monkey
Mountain", a little west of Da Nang.
I spent time in both places. I'm
glad he's getting the recognition he
deserves."
Recently, we asked a former
classmate, “Is it a cliché to say
that they just don't make heroes
like Larry Maxam anymore? Rather
than encouraging our children to
adulate the next comic book super
hero, would we not be better served
by honoring real people, both living
and dead, who have served our
country and sacrificed on our
behalf?”
-
Updated Comment - July 1, 2009 - By
Eddie Morton (1948-2023), BHS Class
of '66:
-
"I
recently returned to the
Viet Nam Memorial and
rechecked the info on Larry
Maxam. It said that he died
at Cam Lo, which is west of
Dong Ha and near the DMZ. I
went back to the Library of
Congress to try and locate
whatever it was I read back
in ’99, but could not find
it. Whatever it was I read
back then, it was wrong or I
am remembering it wrong."