{"id":258330,"date":"2026-04-08T22:47:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/258330\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T22:47:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T22:47:44","slug":"wwii-combat-medic-veteran-honored-at-disneyland-flag-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/258330\/","title":{"rendered":"WWII Combat Medic Veteran Honored at Disneyland Flag Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"AnA WWII veteran’s service and sacrifice is honored during a poignant flag ceremony at the Happiest Place on Earth.Anaheim Today<\/p>\n

A 100-year-old World War II veteran named Charles Cram Jr. was honored during the daily Flag Retreat ceremony at Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. Cram served as a combat medic in the Navy and Marines, fighting in the Battle of Iwo Jima and witnessing the iconic flag raising on Mount Suribachi. He was recognized for his service and sacrifice, which included earning the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Flag Retreat ceremony at Disneyland is a daily tradition that honors military veterans and active-duty members. Recognizing a WWII hero like Charles Cram Jr. during this ceremony helps keep the sacrifices of the ‘greatest generation’ alive and reminds visitors of the ongoing importance of service and patriotism.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

During the Flag Retreat ceremony, the Disneyland Band and Dapper Dans performed as Cram was honored for his service as a combat medic. Cram, who is now 100 years old, fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima and witnessed the famous flag raising on Mount Suribachi. He was part of the first platoon to make the initial charge and was responsible for tending to wounded American and Japanese soldiers.<\/p>\n

Charles Cram Jr. was honored during the Flag Retreat ceremony at Disneyland on April 7, 2026.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Charles Cram Jr.<\/p>\n

A 100-year-old World War II veteran who served as a combat medic in the Navy and Marines, fighting in the Battle of Iwo Jima and witnessing the iconic flag raising on Mount Suribachi. He was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart for his service and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

Disneyland<\/p>\n

The famous theme park in Anaheim, California that hosts a daily Flag Retreat ceremony to honor military veterans and active-duty members.<\/p>\n

Disneyland Band<\/p>\n

The musical ensemble that performs during the Flag Retreat ceremony at Disneyland.<\/p>\n

Dapper Dans<\/p>\n

The a cappella quartet that performs during the Flag Retreat ceremony at Disneyland.<\/p>\n

Michele Mary<\/p>\n

The Disneyland ambassador who spoke about the importance of honoring veterans during the daily Flag Retreat ceremony.<\/p>\n

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\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is unbelievable. It’s really unbelievable to look at Disneyland the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Charles Cram Jr., WWII Veteran<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to honor them daily here is just a reminder of all the hard work and dedication they have sacrificed for our nation to keep the American dream alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Michele Mary, Disneyland Ambassador<\/p>\n

\u201cGung ho! They took a lot of crap and everything else, and came out victorious. They were good fighters. That’s why I wanted to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Charles Cram Jr., WWII Veteran<\/p>\n

\u201cI was with the first platoon making the first charge. I was taking care of the first platoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Charles Cram Jr., WWII Veteran<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only did he see it, he was saving the lives of Americans. He actually tended to Japanese that were wounded as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dwight Hanson, Co-Founder, You Are Worth It Foundation<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The You Are Worth It Foundation, which aims to take veterans to significant events, plans to continue honoring WWII veterans like Charles Cram Jr. and ensuring their service and sacrifice is not forgotten.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

This ceremony at Disneyland serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing importance of honoring our military veterans, especially those from the ‘greatest generation’ like Charles Cram Jr. who fought bravely in World War II to protect our freedoms. Recognizing these heroes helps keep their legacy alive and inspires future generations to serve their country with the same courage and dedication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a A WWII veteran’s service and sacrifice is honored during a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258331,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164],"class_list":["post-258330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=258330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/258331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=258330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=258330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=258330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}