World War II veteran, 96, honored for his contributions

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Hundreds of Southern Californians filled the Los Angeles National Cemetery grounds to pay tribute to America's fallen heroes.

Every grave marker adorned with old glory on this Memorial Day, one for every serviceman and woman laid to rest here who died fighting for our country.

Ex-military Chaplain Milton Herring is all too familiar with grief, but says Memorial Day is a day we should set aside to remember those who gave their all for us to live free today.

"Memorial Day means to me that a lot of young men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom," he said. "It's a great time to honor their lives and their service to our country."

Memorial Day is a holiday steeped in tradition, which for many, includes visiting loved ones who died for American beliefs and freedoms.

Speakers at Monday's event included 96-year-old former U.S. Army Lt. Yoshito Fujimoto. He translated the Japanese surrender document signed aboard the USS Missouri during WWII.

"I am very proud to work on this project," Fujimoto said.

"This is a fantastic honor for him. This is something we've talked about at the dinner table for many, many years. Something like this makes it a realization that it was such an important part of history," his son, Ken Fujimoto said.