Cities across the U.S. will host ceremonies and events during Memorial Day weekend (May 24 – 26) to remember the brave men and women who have given their lives defending their country. The travel experts at The GO Group have selected the top events across the country:
On Monday, May 26, Washington DC will host the National Memorial Day Parade, which begins at 2 p.m. at the corner of Constitution Ave. and 7th Streets, NW, and ends at 17th Street. Participants will pass by the White House, the nation’s monuments, museums, and hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators. The parade will include floats; high school marching bands; veterans; service members; celebrities including Gary Sinise, Joe Montegna and Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014; service organizations and more and will be broadcast live to troops around the world.
In Boston, thousands will gather for the Cambridge Memorial Day Parade which features marching bands; active duty military personnel and veterans from conflicts ranging from World War II to Iraq. The parade begins at the Cambridge Commons and features a cannon salute by the Massachusetts Bicentennial Battery before winding through the city and ending at the Cambridge Cemetery. The Memorial Day Service takes place at Veterans Memorial Park and at the Boston Common, Massachusetts Military Heroes will plant the annual Garden of Flags with 20,000 flags placed in front of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
New Orleans is home to the only National World War II Museum in the U.S., which is located in the Warehouse/Arts district. Visitors can learn about the economic and political roots which led to the build-up and military mobilization of Allied Forces in the 17 D-Days around the world. Some of the exhibits are reproductions of the Higgins landing craft built by volunteers; an auditorium showing films; oral history stations where visitors can listen to personal stories; accounts; and a collection of aircraft, vehicles, weapons, uniforms and other significant artifacts and education programs for students of all ages.
New York City honors our country’s fallen heroes with parades all over the five boroughs. The Little Neck–Douglaston parade in Queens is reputedly the largest; the Brooklyn’s Memorial Day Parade is one of the oldest at 147 years, and begins at 87th Street and Third Avenue. In Manhattan, head uptown for a smaller parade in Inwood, which begins at Dyckman Street and Broadway. The city’s events calendar provides a full list of events and start times. Also, the city hosts its annual Fleet Week which will include dozens of military demonstrations and displays throughout the week of May 21 – 27, plus public visitations of its participating ships.
In Jacksonville, Fla. a ceremony to remember and honor fallen heroes and their families will be held on May 26 at the Memorial Wall which lists more than 1700 names of American heroes. There will be several keynote speakers; a wreath presentation; a 21-gun salute and more. Other Memorial Day weekend activities include the free Jacksonville Jazz Festival, downtown between May 22 and May 26. The event is headlined by Natalie Cole and Herbie Hancock.
The public is invited to join military members, family and friends who will gather at the San Francisco National Cemetery, located at the Presidio, on Memorial Day from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. to honor those that died for our country. More than 30,000 people that served in the military are buried at the cemetery, including the 35 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. San Francisco also is home to a number of other military attractions offering tours, including two World War II vessels that are now floating museums and the Fort Point National Historic Site.
The GO Group serves all the airports in the cities above. For a complete list, visit the website: www.GOAirportShuttle.com.
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