Memorial Day events remember the fallen
Each and every year, Americans pay tribute to fallen military members on Memorial Day — a time to remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for our country.
In the veteran-rich community of Southwest Florida, and Cape Coral being a Purple Heart City, residents have a myriad of opportunities over the holiday weekend to pay their respects and honor those who put it all on the line in the name of freedom, national security and independence.
Observed each year on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is how America has saluted those who have lost their life while serving in the U.S. Military since 1868.
Events include:
Coral Ridge
Coral Ridge Funeral Home & Cemetery in Cape Coral will host its 45th annual Memorial Day service at 10 a.m. on Monday in the Veterans Honor Garden at 950 Chiquita Blvd. S.
The event is free and open to the public, with water and shade provided.
The service will bring community leaders and veteran’s organizations together to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
“Our annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who have served and who have sacrificed,” said Coral Ridge Funeral Director and Air Force veteran Chuck Warren. “We hope the families who join us for the service gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of honoring our military, whether it’s those currently serving or veterans who served in the past. Our special guests will include the Gold Star Parent & Families; these are individuals who have lost a child or sibling while serving.”
The event will feature distinguished speakers, a Roll Call of deceased veterans, patriotic music and ceremonial tributes. Ceremonial highlights are to include: crossed aerial ladders flying the American Flag, Gold Star Memorial Wreath presentation, Missing Man Flight, motorcycle ride-in, and honor wall name rubbings.
“Our Community Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony is a family event, with all generations represented,” Warren said. “With this, the ceremony is moving in many ways, depending on the connection of the attendee. The meaning remains the same — to honor all the men and women who ‘gave their last full measure of devotion,’ and who never had the chance to return home.
“All of us who have served in the military, especially those who served in wartime, have comrades and friends who did not return home that we think of everyday. I want to ensure no one forgets the true meaning of Memorial Day and no one forgets that behind every name is the legacy of someone who gave their life so we might live in freedom in our great nation. As we honor those who did not return, we must also keep thoughts of the Gold Star families in our hearts and minds. It is the families left behind who bear the cost and suffer the stark reality of the price of freedom. Children, parents, siblings of these brave men and women are the ones who need our support.
“So this year let’s all pause, honor, remember and memorialize the fallen, ensuring their legacies never die and truly make Memorial Day matter.”
Speakers this year feature:
• Rep. Mike Giallombardo – a State Representative for Florida’s District 79, covering most of Cape Coral. He serves as Chairman of the Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee and has been in the Florida House for over five years. A combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Giallombardo has served nearly 18 years in the U.S. Army and currently holds the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3).
• Mick Sheldrake – Senior Chief U.S. Navy Ret. Mick graduated from the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun). Chief Sheldrake completed two Mediterranean deployments, seven Western Pacific Deployments (including three major deployments into the Persian Gulf). Sheldrake is the current chair of the Board of Directors for Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, Board of Directors for Cape Coral Kiwanis, and serves as president of Guardian Angels for Special Populations.
• Mike Pedersen — retired U.S. Marine Corps flight officer, spent 20 years on active duty, flying both the F-4 Phantom and F/A-18D Hornet. Pedersen is a TOPGUN graduate and a veteran of 66 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm, receiving multiple awards for valor. After retirement, for the last two decades, Pedersen has mentored local youth sports including coaching youth boxing and volunteer assistant wrestling coach at Mariner High School.
• Laurene Allen Flower – USAF Veteran, American Legion District 13 Commander, proud Gold Star Sibling of 1st Lt. Louis E. Allen who was murdered, along with his Commanding Officer in Iraq. Flower’s commitment to honoring the fallen, supporting the living, and preserving the legacy of heroes is evident in everything she does. She is an active member of American Legion Post 90, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 90, and American Legion Riders Chapter 90.
The Cape Coral Police Department and Knights Of Columbus Assembly 2115 will serve as honor and color guard. Caroline Wilson will attend as a piper, with Steve Kreuz as the bugler. Juan Cordero, 1SG U.S. Army Ret., will serve as the chaplain for the service.
Music performers include Ann Marie Babos and Janelle Olson.
The Mariner High School JROTC will perform an exhibition routine.
Additional participants include: Gold Star Mothers Association, Vietnam Veterans of America Firebase Chapter 594, Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Scouts, Cub Scouts, Cape Coral Fire & Police Departments, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, and the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral.
For Warren and his wife Annette both being veterans, Memorial Day means so much as they operate a local business that employs veterans, and family members of veterans.
“My wife Annette and I, as veterans and a local business employing veterans and family members of Veterans, we feel a much greater responsibility to honor the true heroes who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our amazing country, and to assist their families through difficult times,” Warren said. “To us every day is Memorial Day. Let us honor these true heroes.”
For more information, visit CoralRidgeFuneralHome.com or call (239) 283-0540.
Brotherhood of Heroes USS Nimitz
A Memorial Day tradition now in its seventh year, a special tribute to those that served on the USS Nimitz will take place at a Cape Coral museum dedicated to preserving history and assisting local veterans.
The Brotherhood of Heroes Military Museum & Library on Monday will host an open-to-the-public event honoring those who perished on the ship as well as veterans who were on board the day the vessel saw a flight deck fire that took the lives of 14 sailors and injured 49.
The memorial, which falls on the anniversary of the incident, takes at 11 a.m., with local dignitaries present and a ship bell to be rung for each of the 14 who perished.
Cape veteran and business owner Chris Cammarota is a major organizer of the event, and was aboard the USS Nimitz the day of incident 42 years ago.
“All are welcome,” Cammarota said. “If you served or didn’t serve, I think you should do something for Memorial Day.”
The ceremony is to pay tribute to the events on May 26, 1981, when an accident on board the U.S.S. Nimitz took the lives of 14 men.
On that day in ’81, a Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler crashed on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier named after World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W. Nimitz. The crash, which occurred right off the coast of Jacksonville, and subsequent explosions and fire either destroyed or damaged 19 other aircrafts. The fire was fed by the steady flow of fuel from the punctured tank of a just-refueled aircraft. When the fire was believed to be out and orders were given to start the cleanup, a “sparrow” missile warhead detonated, killing two and injuring seven while rekindling the fire. It left a 12-inch by 24-inch wide by 3-inch-deep depression in the flight deck. Two other warheads detonated after the first explosion.
A group of individuals that served aboard the Nimitz will be in attendance that come from all over the country to reunite.
“The Nimitz will be 53 years old next year and is still going and performing, securing American interests throughout the world,” Cammarota said. “This ceremony is all about the 14 that died that day.”
One of the largest warships in the world, the “super carrier” U.S.S. Nimitz is a multi-mission, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and part of Carrier Strike Group Eleven.
There is a 12-foot replica of the ship and memorial to Cammarota’s best friend, Dennis Driscol, who died that day, inside the museum, which will be open for tours following the ceremony.
“Memorial Day doesn’t mean you should go out and buy a refrigerator or a new car,” Cammarota said. “It’s a day to reflect on everybody who has done their time for their country and gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
Cammarota said he enjoys having the youth come out and learn about the importance of history.
The Brotherhood Heroes Resource Center and Museum is at 4522 Del Prado Blvd. Parking is located behind the building. Refreshments will follow the ceremony.
For more information, visit thebrotherhoodofheroes.com.
German American Social Club
The German-American Social Club of Cape Coral will host its 2026 Annual All-American Country BBQ on May 24 in celebration of Memorial Day Weekend.
The community is invited to join in this patriotic and family-friendly event dedicated to honoring veterans and active-duty service members, who will receive free admission with proper ID. Entry for the day is $5.
“Celebrate Memorial Day weekend in the best Garten in Cape Coral,” stated GASC officials. “We’re firing up the grills and tapping the kegs for a day dedicated to great food, incredible country music, and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Gates open at noon, kicking off an afternoon full of food, fun, and heartfelt appreciation in the club’s 2-acre outdoor Biergarten. Live entertainment will feature two local bands, “JDS” and “The Big Cypress Band.”
American barbecue classics, cold drinks, and a welcoming, festive atmosphere, will make this an unforgettable day ending at 8 p.m.
Quilts of Valor Foundation will present handcrafted quilts to several of the club’s veterans in recognition of their service and sacrifice.
For more information, visit gasc-capecoral.com.
The German-American Social Club of Cape Coral is at 2101 SW Pine Island Road.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com