[Editor’s Note: Dr. Hoult spoke these words at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.]

Honorable Mayor O’Leary and City Council members,

This past weekend as we celebrated Memorial Day, Charley and I walked through our neighborhood and into Carlson Park. As we looked at the sign and the marker on the corner, we thought about the man in whose memory our park was named.

Culver City’s Carlson Memorial Park
by Janet Hoult

Each year we celebrate Memorial Day

Remembering those we’ve lost in many ways

Parades and flags, speeches and tears

Honoring those who have died through the years

Veterans of wars fought throughout the world

And bravery in countries so far afield

Culver City celebrates a brave man every day

And Carlson Park can remind us of the way

He showed his courage as a medical missionary

In the Congo Republic saving lives far away

Dr. Paul Carlson was born in our town

A doctor who didn’t let humanity down

He stayed in Africa to save people with his skill

But those who fought the civil war didn’t care who they killed

So Culver City residents, when you visit Carlson Park

Just remember the man who gave his life and the spark

That moved our city to rename Victory Park as a memorial

To Dr. Paul Carlson who gave his skills, his life, his all.

Thank you City Councils of years past for providing a memorial to a man whose self-sacrifice sets an example for all of us.

Dr. Hoult may be contacted at HOULTight@aol.com