Bakersfield National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony, May 27

The Bakersfield National Cemetery will commemorate Memorial Day with a 9 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 27 at the Bakersfield National Cemetery. veterans, their families and friends, and the public are invited to attend.

Guest speakers for the event include Speaker of the House, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and Army LTC Joseph Smith. Deputy Director, Europe-Mediterranean Directorate at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The event will also feature a flyover, wreath presentation, traditional military tributes and music provided by the Bakersfield High School Band.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael “Cap” Pacini will provide the keynote address. Pacini is the Commander of the 416th Flight Test Squadron and Director of the Global Power Fighter Combined Test Force (CTF), which is responsible for Developmental Testing on various USAF and Foreign Military Sales fighter and trainer aircraft. The CTF consists of over 234 personnel and oversees flight test activities for multiple variants of the F-16 as well as the T-7 and T-38 programs.

Handicap accessible parking is available at the cemetery but is extremely limited. Carpooling to the ceremony is being strongly urged. Also note that an ASL interpreter will be on site for the hearing impaired.

Due to the expected large crowd, patrons are encouraged to plan to arrive early and be in their seats by 8:45 a.m. The ceremony, which will begin at 9 a.m., is expected to last approximately one hour. Traffic at the site will be required to cease at that time.

The ceremony will be held rain or shine so plan appropriately for inclement weather. Should the weather be warm, as expected, complimentary bottled water will be available during the ceremony.

Also note that after the ceremony on Saturday, May 27, volunteers from the community will mark more than 10,000 gravesites at the cemetery with U.S. flags to honor the men and women who served the Nation. Family members that wish to place a flag on their loved one’s gravesite themselves, are asked to do so prior to the ceremony - between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

The Bakersfield National Cemetery is located at 30338 E. Bear Mountain Blvd., Arvin. Located on donated land from Tejon Ranch, the 500+ acres in Kern County had its first interments July 1, 2009.

For further information about the event, please contact the cemetery office at (661) 867-2250. This event is open for media coverage and designated parking will be provided for media teams.