Memorial Day parades and specialized programs in light of the occasion make for some of the most beloved traditions, showcasing patriotism and honoring the heroism of our nation’s s fallen service members. As these brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice to keep lives and liberties safe and secure on the home front, it seems only right and befitting to pay tribute to each one throughout the course of our country’s 250-year establishment.
It goes without saying that many such tributes and honorary observances exist throughout the United States today. Here in the Mid-Atlantic, we can boast our fair share of celebrations to boot, including some of the oldest in the nation. One such example can be found in what is now renowned as the “Official Memorial Day Parade of West Virginia.”
Credit: West Virginia Memorial Day Parade
Taking place in the heart of Grafton, West Virginia, this iconic procession has been going strong for more than a century and a half! This year’s event marks its 159th, and the theme is, appropriately enough, Where Heroes Rest, Freedom Lives.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Longstanding traditions such as these truly deserve to be showcased for their ongoing, ever-lasting tributes and proud presentations of American heroism, honor, dedication, and appreciation. That’s why this Flashback Friday Feature serves to recount the founding and enduring legacy of what is believed to be the nation’s longest continuously running Memorial Day parade.
Foundations of Memorial Day
While many regions throughout the United States claim to be the birthplace of the first Memorial Day observances, it was in those years following the American Civil War that were most foundational to how we “memorialize” fallen soldiers today. Originally dubbed “Decoration Day,” or sometimes “Flower Strewing Day,” the occasion was, back then, more or less about decorating the graves of those lost in combat. Let it be known, however, that the act of visiting and adorning a headstone in tribute to a fallen loved one dates back to antiquity and can be found cross-culturally throughout history and all around the world.
While the National Cemetery Administration, a division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, credits Mary Ann Williams of the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia, with being the first to conceptualize the idea of adorning the graves of fallen Civil War soldiers with flowers annually on a designated day, it was Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic and his wife who were most proactive and instrumental in enacting such an idea.
As the story goes, in the years following the Civil War, Mrs. Logan observed a deeply moving and inspiring sight of a woman dressed in mourning clothes placing a garland of spring blossoms on the grave of a loved one. After recounting what she witnessed to her husband, Logan introduced a bill in Congress on April 8, 1868, proposing that May 30 be made into a day of memorializing fallen Civil War soldiers.
The first formal “Decoration Day” took place at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30 that year. About 5,000 people attended the event, which included the act of adorning graves with flowers as well as small American flags.
Such observations and tributes did not stay centralized to soldiers of the Civil War alone. Throughout the course of American history, the practice of honoring fallen soldiers—patriotic martyrs who sacrificed their own lives for civilian liberty—expanded to include all other wars in which Americans fought and died, both predating and following the Civil War.
While Memorial Day tributes had been ongoing since the 1860s, it was not officially proclaimed “Memorial Day” by name until 1967, although the familiar moniker had been floated since World War II. Shortly after, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Because of this, Memorial Day would no longer be held on May 30, but would rather be celebrated annually on the last Monday in May.
National Cemeteries
National Cemeteries have been crucial to Memorial Day celebrations from the very start. Having begun during the Civil War era, President Lincoln signed into law the establishment of at least 50 National Cemeteries on July 17, 1862. Grafton, West Virginia, was the site of one such designation—the Grafton National Cemetery, which was officially completed in 1867. Within two years, 1,251 bodies of both Union and Confederate Troops of the Civil War were interred in Grafton under the supervision of the U.S. Burial Corps. There were also 664 gravesites for Unknown Soldiers.
Today, the Grafton National Cemetery contains more than 2,000 graves of men and their dependents. Aside from the Civil War, the cemetery is the final resting place for veterans of the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam.
A later addition to the lineup of National Cemeteries was established as recently as the 20th century. It came in the form of the creation of the West Virginia National Cemetery. Also based in Grafton, it was devised to compensate for the additional space needed for the state’s veterans and those of future veterans.
Today, both cemeteries are instrumental in West Virginia’s Memorial Day celebrations. The West Virginia National Cemetery Memorial Day Observance will be held on Sunday, May 24, beginning at 1 p.m. The Grafton National Cemetery Memorial Day Observance will commence following the official parade, roughly around 12:30 p.m.
About the Parade
The heart of Memorial Day observations in Grafton, West Virginia, is, of course, the contested parade procession of such great acclaim. The tradition has continued for just one year shy of 160 years now! And to reiterate its status and standing, it is one of the nation’s longest continuously running Memorial Day parades still in existence. West Virginia Legislature officially designated Grafton’s parade as the “Official Memorial Day Parade of West Virginia” in 2016.
Today’s event continues on a time-honored tradition, with school children participating as a rite of passage, and a dedicated team of volunteers always at the helm of operations and orchestrations. Even the traditional route of the procession remains intact. It’s a true demonstration of timeless community and hearty American, patriotic spirit.
This year’s parade steps off at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 25, at the intersection of Yates Ave. and Beech St. at the Memorial City Bridge. The route continues through downtown Grafton, onto Front St., and then continues onto Walnut St. before ending at the Grafton National Cemetery.
Attending the event is free and open to the public. For all other information and details, visit the website at www.wvmemorialday.com.