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Contact: Jake Koch, 601-636-0583
Vicksburg National Military Park will honor the men and women who died in service to our nation this Memorial Day weekend. On Friday, May 25, staff and volunteers will decorate the 18,000 graves at the Vicksburg National Cemetery with United States flags.The flags will stay in place through Monday, May 28, Memorial Day.Anyone interested in volunteering and assisting with decorating the veterans' graves can meet at the USS Cairo parking lot at 7:00 AM on Friday. On Saturday, May 26 and Sunday May 27, volunteers and park rangers garbed in uniforms from the Revolutionary War, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, First World War, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and the modern military will set up displays near the park Visitor Center from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM on Saturday and 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Sunday.Programs will be presented on the life of a soldier through the ages to include uniforms, equipment, military vehicles, and weapons at designated times each day. On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, at 12:30 PM, at Vicksburg National Cemetery, local Veterans' groups will lay a wreath on the grave of an unknown soldier, paying tribute to all veterans buried in the cemetery. Also on Memorial Day, in cooperation with the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance, visitors to Vicksburg National Military Park will be encouraged to participate in a National Moment of Remembrance. At 3:00 PM park staff and visitors will pause for one minute paying silent tribute to the men and women who died in service to our nation.Visitors will be encouraged to place their right hand over their heart, and those driving will be encouraged to turn on their vehicle's headlights for one minute. We invite everyone to join us in these Memorial Day celebrations and remembrances. Park admission is $8.00 per car and good for the full weekend of events. All Vicksburg and National Park passes are always honored. |
Last updated: April 14, 2015