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GLENDALE — For hundreds of local residents who turned out to Memorial Day ceremonies across Glendale, Burbank and La Cañada Flintridge, the hours of tribute — complete with bagpipes, benedictions, names of fallen service members, patriotic hymns and roses — serve as an annual exercise in remembrance.

But for Liam McKenna, a second-grader at St. Finbar School, such an exercise takes place weekly.

“Every Sunday, I take a marble from the ‘Iraq’ circle and put it in the ‘home’ pile,” said Liam, dressed from head to toe in Army fatigues and wearing his dad’s rank, Sgt. 1st Class. “I wear the uniform because it reminds me of my dad in Iraq. There’s 11 marbles left, 11 weeks left.”

McKenna joined hundreds of Burbank residents, soldiers and government officials at the city’s official ceremony where members of the Veterans Commemorative Committee read the names of nearly 300 local troops who died serving in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq while Boy Scouts placed roses atop the memorials.

A musical prelude gave way to a flyover by the Condor Squadron. In Glendale, Vietnam veteran Steve Malmberg browsed the Glendale Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1997. Master of Ceremonies Larry Zarian welcomed the somber crowd to the corner of Isabel Street and East Broadway with opening remarks oozing with patriotism.

“It makes me proud to not only be an American,” he said. “It makes me proud to be a citizen of Glendale.”

Mayor Frank Quintero followed the color guard, flag salute and prisoner of war-missing in action memorial, presented by retired Lt. Col. Dave Worley, of the U.S. Air Force, with a reminder to employers, particularly in this dire economy, to hire veterans.

“All over Memorial Day is about more than just hot dogs and having a great time,” he said. “Let’s continue to work with the veterans, and let’s keep the returning veterans in mind.”

The morning of reminiscence was also an opportunity to remember those who never returned from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date, more than 4,900 U.S. troops have died while serving in the two countries, 537 of them from California, according to records kept by the Los Angeles Times.