This Monday, May 30, is Memorial Day. It’s known as the “unofficial start of summer” and is a day on which many seniors and their families get together to visit.
The exact origin of the Memorial Day holiday is somewhat unclear, but it is known that it began in the Civil War period with various local remembrances of soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict between the states.
It was originally called “Decoration Day,” was celebrated annually on May 30, and was initially meant only to honor Civil War servicemen. General James Garfield — the future President of the United States — gave the address at the first official Decoration Day remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. Gradually — and especially after the Great War — the holiday became a day to honor service members lost at any time.
In 1971, Memorial Day became an official Federal holiday, by an act of Congress passed in 1968. It has been observed on the last Monday in May ever since.
So what free Memorial Day events are going on in and around Cincinnati this weekend to commemorate the sacrifices made by Tristate servicemen and servicewomen? Where can seniors living in Cincinnati go to observe the holiday and remember those who went before?
Let’s take a look at a few:
Thursday, May 26
Memorial Day Celebration with the Jump ’n’ Jive Band
Deupree House
7 p.m.
In honor of Memorial Day, the Jump ’n’ Jive band will perform patriotic music, in the Deupree House courtyard. (Concert will be moved to the Club Room if it rains.)
Saturday, May 28
Memorial Day Parade
North College Hill
11 a.m.
The City of North College Hill will hold its annual Memorial Day parade through its downtown area with floats, marching units, community groups and more.
Flagpole Dedication and Speeches
Twin Spires Drive, Batavia
10 a.m.
This celebration includes the dedication of a new flag pole and raising the American and MIA/POW flags. The featured speaker will be Clermont County Sheriff Tim Rosenberg and the keynote speaker will be Carolyn Maupin, mother of the late Iraq War veteran Sgt. Matt Maupin. The Clermont County Marine Veterans Color Guard will present the colors.
Sunday, May 29
Judge Robert S. Kraft Memorial Service
Covedale War Memorial Garden
5375 Sidney Rd, Cincinnati
10:30 a.m.
This service will be held in memory of servicemen and servicewomen of the Jewish faith who hailed from the Greater Cincinnati area.
Delhi Memorial Day Ceremony
Veterans’ Memorial Park
934 Neeb Road, Delhi Township
1 p.m.
This memorial service and wreath laying will honor the 19 Delhi natives who died in the service. It will include roll call of those killed in action, patriotic songs by vocalist and bagpipers, color guards of Delhi veterans and members of American Legion Post 534. Handicap parking is available at Veterans’ Memorial Park; others please park at the Senior Center at 647 Neeb Rd. and take the shuttle bus.
Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony
Eden Park, Cincinnati
10 a.m.
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 10 color guard will post the colors and perform other traditional duties. Chapter board members will share their reflections on meaning of the day.
Memorial Day Service: “Let Us Not Forget”
Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum
4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati
11 a.m.
This Memorial Service will be presented by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry re-enactor unit and the Sister Anthony O'Connell Auxiliary. U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup will serve as keynote speaker.
B-25 Bomber Fly-By and Memorial Day Parade
Miamitown Historical Society
7998 Main St, Miamitown
12 p.m.
Enjoy the annual Memorial Day parade and a fly-by by an historic World War II-era B-25 Mitchell medium bomber — the same bomber variant used in the famous “Doolittle Raid” of Japan in early 1942. A limited edition print of the aircraft will be raffled off at the event.
There’s plenty for seniors in Cincinnati to do this Memorial Day weekend.
Check out some of the other events listed here, or search online or in the newspaper to find something that interests you and your family.
Or, take a road trip to the Tristate Warbirds Museum in Batavia, the Christian Waldschmidt Homestead and Civil War Museum (used as a guard house for the Union Army mustering point at Camp Dennison), or the National Museum of the United States Air Force up in Fairborn.
Whatever you end up deciding, be sure to give thought to the sacrifices made by countless American servicemen and servicewomen to ensure 240 years of freedom.
