About 1,000 attended annual Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial events in La Jolla on May 26, which included honors of the memory of Sgt. Rafael Peralta, killed in Falljah, Iraq in November of 2004. Peralta, 25, was fatally injured when he took gunfire and a grenade blast; in so doing, he save the lives of many fellow soldiers. A plaque was installed at the memorial in his honor. The event also marked the first time that all San Diego congressional members were in attendance. PHOTO BY DON BALCH