Mystery History -- Solved

Petrea wins with her 10:27 p.m. Tuesday guess "I'm going to hazard a guess and say Victory Park. Installing the playground there. Looks like the 1960's, maybe?"

About 100 local Kiwanis Club volunteers descended on the new Victory Park on May 4, 1952, to transform bare ground into a playground and recreation center in the course of one day. This was about three weeks before the park's formal dedication.

Excerpt from the May 4, 1952, Pasadena Star-News:

The Pasadena Kiwanis Club did it!

Its members set out yesterday to complete a recreational center for children on the city's new Victory Park in one day and they did just that...

...Children descended in droves while the Kiwanians and their wives were enjoying Kiwanian Al Leigh's tender, fat and juicy spring fries. Swings, slides, rings, the jungle gym, sand boxes, etc., got a rough initiation.

The whole plan for the creation of the playgrounds was originated by Verne Orr Jr., Kiwanis president last year. He passed the baton to Audre Stong, this year's president, who bore down heavily and raised the $2,000 needed for supplies. Past and present Kiwanis presidents would pin the gold medal for a successfully completed project on Chairman Schaal, if they had a medal.

Neighbors of the Victory Park area, who were lookers-on, said nice things about a club of doctors, businessmen, etc., who spent their entire Saturday smashing their thumbs, bruising their shins, accumulating blisters and backaches, and spending $2,000 for one sole purpose -- to make little children happy.

Here's a fun photo of post-parade activities at Victory Park in 1956:


Now here's a look back:

In 1945 the Board of City Directors (now known as the City Council) established the Pasadena War Memorial Committee. The letter of instructions to appointed members of the committee included this:

It is desired by the Board of City Directors that the Pasadena War Memorial make a survey of the various possibilities for a suitable War Memorial to those men and women who served in World War II. It may be desirable to list one or more projects. If so, it is suggested that they be placed in the order of their importance in the minds of the Committee.

Early on, the committee came to some general conclusions: The project should be be managed and maintained so as not to become a burden on the community, it should serve a real community need with consideration of other facilities already available, the financing should be determined by the Board of City Directors, and the facilities of the war memorial should be for the benefit of all citizens of Pasadena.

The following year the committee made a formal recommendation to the Board of City Directors for the specific property in the then-wide-open eastern portion of Pasadena, which the city would purchase as a park to be named Victory Park in memory of all Pasadenans who gave their lives during World War II. The memorial Victory Park would include an auditorium, "eating facilities," conference and meeting rooms, an athletic pavilion and a parking area.

The price tag for Pasadena's 15th city park: $4 million.

Victory Park was dedicated on May 25, 1952, with Alson E. Abernethy, chairman of the Board of Pasadena City Directors, and Mrs. Eleanor D. Boyd, national president of American Gold Star Mothers, presiding.

Here's a photo of Chairman Abernethy from the Hall of Mayors:


I thought I would have time to do a photo archive search of the dedication day but as so often happens, the time got away from me.

I have done prior Victory Park postings, including this one.

Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library.

Joe Hayashi Memorial

Paul Little reminded me that I neglected to mention the Joe Hayashi Memorial in yesterday's post.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Joe Hayashi demonstrated dauntless courage and exemplary leadership in Italy that enabled his company to obtain its objective before he was mortally wounded.

He was presented the Medal of Honor in 2000 posthumously by President Bill Clinton for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of military service.

The only Pasadena resident to have been awarded the Medal of Honor for service during World War II, he was honored posthumously during a ceremony at Victory Park in August 2008.

A permanent memorial commemorating his bravery was unveiled at the event, which was attended by members of his family, city officials and community leaders.


Several Japanese American veterans of World War II attended the ceremony as well.






Hayashi was in the U.S. Army's Company K, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. On April 20, 1945, in Tendola, Italy, he skillfully led his men to a point within 75 yards of enemy positions before they were detected and fired upon. After dragging his wounded comrades to safety, he returned and boldly attacked the hill, severely minimizing the enemy threat.

On April 22 he continued the attack, firing multiple grenades before being mortally wounded.

Hayashi was the son of Chukichi and Toyo Hayashi, now deceased. He is survived by one sister, a half-sister, two half-brothers and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Read more detailed information here.

Victory Park was dedicated as a living memorial to Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. The rose garden at the flagpole is in the shape of a V for Victory. You'll find the Hayashi Memorial there.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, so I thought I'd post a couple of photos from Memorial Park.

The park is located on Raymond Avenue between Holly and Walnut.

One of the most recognizable memorials at the park is this one dedicated to U.S. soldiers who fell during the Civil War.

It includes this plaque.

Other memorials at the park are dedicated to those who fell during the American Revolution and in Vietnam.

Pasadena's World War II memorial is at Victory Park.

Mystery History -- Solved

Petrea wins! I have emailed her about her fabulous prize. (D5Rep is disqualified on a technicality -- she works on the inside!)

In the photo above, a drill is taking place in 1944 in the Civil Defense Center in the basement of Pasadena City Hall.

World War II was in full swing, and 1944 was a busy year.

Here's a photo of a sign being put up in front of City Hall identifying the building as a shelter site. Note the loudspeakers above it. These were serious times and everyone needed to be at the ready just in case.


Some additional World War II information:

Victory Park was dedicated as a living memorial to those who fell in World War II. Note that the rose garden is in the shape of a "V." Next time you're in the neighborhood, stop by and take a look around the memorial area, including the dedication plaque at the base of the flag pole. It's really quite nice. There's also a memorial to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joe Hayashi, the only Pasadena resident to be awarded the the Medal of Honor (posthumously by President Bill Clinton) for making the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. This photo was taken on Memorial Day so the flag was at half-staff.



The Vista del Arroyo Hotel was taken over by the federal government and converted to a U.S. military hospital during World War II. Today it is still owned by the federal government and serves as one of the locations for the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.


Two of Pasadena's five sister cities -- Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Mishima, Japan -- were "adopted" post-war so Pasadena could help the cities' civilians get their lives and their communities back to normal.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, put the entire west coast of the U.S. on high alert, forcing the cancellation of the Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 1942, as a precaution. The Rose Bowl Game was moved to Duke University (score: Oregon 20, Duke 6). Anyone who has one of these tickets may be sitting on a gold mine because they were useless and had to be reprinted!



The astronomy program managed by Caltech came to a halt during part of the war because most of the engineers and scientists involved in the program were reassigned to war-related projects.

What will the next Mystery History photo be? You'll have to wait until next Tuesday to find out!