Fleet Week: Thank military members and tour the Point Fermin

The Point Fermin Lighthouse is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. And, to honor its longevity and its part in military history, the San Pedro landmark will get in on the excitement of the 2024 Los Angeles Fleet Week — for the first time.

The public can participate in Memorial Day tributes to veterans and acting military, as well as take tours of the historic lighthouse, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 24.

The highlight of the free midday gathering, according to lighthouse curator Kristen Heather, will be a lunch on the lawn for veterans and active military members.

“Because it was our 150th,” Heather said, “we thought it would be fun to say we fed 150 veterans.”

This will be the lighthouse’s first time participating in Fleet Week, Heather said. And it was an idea board members had as they brainstormed a slate of 150th anniversay events throughout the year.

Fifty sailors, in town for the large Fleet Week celebration, will be transported via a van from the Port of Los Angeles to Point Fermin for the lunch, dubbed “Gathering in Gratitude.” The other 100 will be veterans who are invited to sign up.

All service members will receive a challenge coin with a Fleet Week logo on one side and the Point Fermin Lighthouse on the other, said Diane Bertelsen, a voluntary board member for the approximately 300-member Point Fermin Lighthouse Society.

The Point Fermin Lighthouse — which dates back to the late 1840s, making it one of the oldest buildings in Southern California — has a long connection with the military, Bertelsen said.

At the start of World War II, she said, the military took over the building, removed the lantern room where the lighthouse’s Fresnel lens was housed and put up an observation deck. It was from this lookout station that U.S. troops monitored the coast for invaders.

The planning committee has been working hard on anniversary events, Bertelsen said. Events are funded by members’ yearly dues.

New this year, Berrtelsen said, is a sponsorship program. People are invited to join the society for a one-time fee of $150, in keeping with the 150th anniversary theme. The society is hoping to attract new members during Fleet Week, she said.

“We’d never done Fleet Week before,” Bertelsen said. “But we saw the Banning House Museum has been involved and we said, ‘We should do something.”

The Banning House Museum, in Wilmington, will host a “Welcome Party” on Friday evening, May 24.

The Point Fermin Lighthouse event, meanwhile, will begin with a Memorial Day ceremony featuring a color guard, guest speaker and special guests. The service members will then be escorted to the back lawn for lunch, while family members and others enjoy snacks and water, Bertelsen said.

The event will also include:

The national anthem, sung by Lt. Col. Natasha Peeples (U.S. Space Force).
The Pledge of Allegiance, led by 99-year-old Ann Clare of San Pedro, wife of a sailor stationed at the lighthouse at the begining of World War II.
Color guard presentation by San Pedro High School Junior ROTC
Guest speaker Coast Guard Los Angeles/Long Beach Commander Robert Poitinger.
“Toys of Resilence: World War II and the Power of Play,” an exhibit of toys from the era.
Dixieland band performance.
Lighthouse tours.

To RSVP as one of the 100 veterans for the lunch, text 310-293-8000 or email bertelsen@cox.net with your name, military service, military rank and optional photo.