Downtown Palm Springs memorial remembers valley’s fallen heroes

A tribute to the valley's fallen heroes in downtown Palm Springs is offering the chance to pause, reflect and truly remember the solemn essence of Memorial Day.

The display, situated at the Village Green Heritage Center, features posters of dozens of locals who served, protected and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Each post is decorated with a flag and a rose.

Army veteran Terry Johnson, who served in Berlin from 1967 to 1971, is a part of the American Legion Post 519 team that erected the memorial.

"These are all sons of the valley. They were all either born here or raised here in the valley. Most of them went to school here, started their families here, and then went off to war and didn't come back," Johnson said.

The memorial pays tribute to fallen veterans from all branches of the armed forces, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. Among them are officers Lesley Zerebny and Jose Gil Vega, along with K9 Ike from the Palm Springs Police Department.

Omid Dardashti and his son were among the visitors moved by the significance of the memorial.

"I was hoping to see something with the significance of the holiday, and today we are truly remembering what we should be thankful for—the freedom that we do have," Dardashti said.

The memorial serves as a reminder that our freedoms are not free. "Somebody gave it all for them, and we should honor and respect the current service members for what they do and what they give up," Johnson said.

The memorial will remain up through Tuesday.