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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                    May 22, 2012     MAYOR'S MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY – MAY 28, 2012   (Tue., May 22, 2012) – Mayor Peter Carlisle, General David Bramlett, USA, Retired, and other dignitaries will participate in the Mayor's Memorial Day Ceremony at 8:30 a.m., Monday, May 28, on the grounds of the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. The riveting ceremony honors veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.               General Bramlett will be the Master of Ceremonies for the event. Chaplain LTC Ken Bellinger, Deputy Command Chaplain, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army, will give the invocation.               The service will also include the Royal Hawaiian Band, Sounds of Aloha Choir, a traditional gun salute, and "Missing Man" formation flyover.               Law enforcement Explorer Captain Risa Moniz, Boy Scout Andrew Musgrave, and Senior Girl Scout Kayla Seto will assist dignitaries by placing memorial wreaths at the cemetery's Dedicatory Stone.               Junior ROTC cadets from Campbell, Kaiser, McKinley and Waianae High Schools will post the 50 state flags, and the Joint Military Color Guard will post the national colors.  Numerous veterans organizations will also present wreaths and their colors.                The Hickam Base Honor Guard will fire a 21-gun rifle salute while "Taps" is solemnly played. The stirring ceremony will be highlighted by the 199th Fighter Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard, and 19th Fighter Squadron, U.S. Air Force fighter jets flying the "Missing Man" formation.               Parking at the cemetery is limited; therefore, the City will provide special bus service for those attending the ceremony by incorporating the Punchbowl stop on Route 15, Makiki/Pacific Heights, for that day.                 Free parking will be available at the Fasi Civic Center garage for motorists boarding buses at the Alapai Transit Center. Pick up at the transit center runs from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Destination signs on the departing buses will read "15 Punchbowl."               Returning buses will run at two intervals only:  9:30 and 9:40 a.m. Destination signs on these buses will read "15 Alapai Transit Center. " All normal fares apply and all bus stops along the route will be serviced.               The Memorial Day ceremony is presented through the coordination and support of more than 50 government agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals. The event is planned and conducted by the City Department of Parks and Recreation.               Most of the lei adorning the grave sites are donated by Hawaii's public school children through the outstanding support and coordination of the state Department of Education.  However, the public is encouraged to donate flowers and lei at several drop off locations up to the day before the event.               On Friday, May 25, the City will sponsor a lei sewing brown bag session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Honolulu Hale Courtyard.  The public is invited to listen to the sounds of the Royal Hawaiian Band Glee Club while helping to sew lei for the event.  Loose plumeria and other lei flowers are also needed and can be dropped off on the morning of May 25 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Waipahu District park, Kailua District Park, and Makua Ali'I Senior Center.               For more information on the Mayor's Memorial Day Ceremony, contact the Department of Parks and Recreation at 768-3002. For bus information, go to www.thebus.org or call 848-5555.   -30-       Contact:  Department of Parks and Recreation, 768-3002.