News Release

Memorial Day Programs and Events at Andersonville 2017

Date: May 16, 2017
Contact: Jody Mays, 229-924-0343 ext. 115

Release Date: May 16, 2017

Contacts:  Jody Mays, [e-mail], 229-924-0343, ext. 115

NR17-04                      
 

Memorial Day Programs and Events at Andersonville

Brigadier General David Lesperance to speak at Andersonville Memorial Day Program

ANDERSONVILLE, Georgia –Brigadier General David Lesperance, Armor School Commandant at the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, will present the keynote address at the Memorial Day Observance Ceremony to be held in Andersonville National Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 28. Brigadier General Lesperance has been deployed 5 times in support of Combat Operations. Among other assignments, he served on the Multi-National Division-Baghdad staff in 2007 and commanded the 3^rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Cavalry Division in 2012. His distinguished military record includes 3 Legion of Merit Awards, 3 Bronze Stars, a Defense Meritorious Service medal, and 5 Meritorious Service medals, among other commendations.

Memorial Day commemoration activities at Andersonville National Historic Site begin on Friday, May 19. Volunteers from Robins Riders and park staff will raise the Avenue of Flags, lining the cemetery roads with over 200 full-sized American flags and the National Prisoner of War Museum parking area with all 50 state flags.

On Saturday, May 27, hundreds of scouts and other volunteers will add to the patriotic atmosphere by placing a small American flag on more than 20,000 gravesites in Andersonville National Cemetery. The dramatic and moving display of thousands of veterans’ graves decorated with American Flags, set against a backdrop of over 200 full-sized American Flags, will create a powerful and patriotic setting for our Memorial Day Observance Ceremony.

On Sunday, May 28, a Memorial Day Observance Ceremony will be held in Andersonville National Cemetery. The U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence Band will perform beginning at 1:30 p.m. and the formal program will begin at 2:00 p.m. The ceremony will feature a keynote address from Brigadier General Lesperance; wreath presentations by several military, civic, and patriotic organizations; presentation of military honors including a rifle salute; and more.

On Monday, May 29, at 11:00 a.m. the Knights of Columbus will hold a special mass in the cemetery. The public is invited to attend.

“Memorial Day presents an opportunity to remember the military men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country,” said Superintendent Charles Sellars. “Many have paid the highest price in service to our nation. It is our great privilege to pay tribute to them, particularly those resting in honor here at Andersonville National Cemetery, each year at this time.”

Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. ­Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Park grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with the museum open from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, visit on the web at www.nps.gov/ande/, or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.