Annual Memorial Event Cancelled Due To Corona Virus
I and the Board of the USS San Francisco Memorial have decided to cancel this year’s Memorial Event in light of the health emergency that affects us all. We know that our mission as responsible citizens is to avoid events that congregate persons and in effect promote spread of the COVID-19 virus, and we recognize that precautions will be necessary for some time to come, far beyond the May date when we would have gathered to celebrate our honored Veterans.
Our event held each year aims to pay tribute to those service members who gave their lives aboard the USS San Francisco (CA 38) during the night action of 12-13 November 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal. We honor them along with all the fallen of our Pacific Partners from Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and Japan. We pay respect to all who fell as a reminder of the cost of such conflicts and the importance of the strong ties between our nations today.
It is our greatest hope that all of you will take a moment to recognize our fallen during the Memorial Day weekend and take a page from the courage of the crew of our City’s namesake and continue to practice safe social distancing standards. This crisis is far from over and many people, in and around your communities, will benefit from your sacrifice during big holiday weekends.
Close to the Memorial Day weekend we will release a brief video on our website from the memorial to pay tribute to our Veterans; I hope you will come view it on May 24. I wish all of you peace and health during this time of COVID-19, and I look forward to convening again with you all at the Memorial Site in 2021.
Sincerely,
John A. McKnight
President, USS San Francisco Memorial Foundation
ca38foundation@gmail.com