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OLD GLORY TO FLY OVER GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Latest stop on national “Journey of Remembrance” to honor America’s heroes
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2008—On Monday, April 14 at 11 a.m. Old Glory will fly over the historic Gettysburg Battlefield in Gettysburg, Penn. The public is invited to this historic tribute to our military men and women, as Old Glory continues its Journey of Remembrance from the USS Arizona Memorial to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Local World War II veterans will be on hand for the event and AMVETS Past National Commander Ken Wolford will deliver comments during the ceremony. Old Glory’s stop in Gettysburg also coincides with the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art museum and visitor’s center at the battlefield.
“AMVETS is proud to raise Old Glory over Gettysburg and reflect on those who have laid down their lives in defense of liberty,” said Wolford. “As we gather today to honor the flag and all who are sworn to defend it, it only seems fitting that we raise Old Glory over the site that marked the turning point in our Civil War, where so many of our nation’s bravest made the ultimate sacrifice”
Gettysburg Battlefield is the site of the bloodiest battle in the Civil War where more than 50,000 American service members died. Historians point to the Union victory at Gettysburg as a turning point in the war. President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address at the battlefield, honoring the sacrifices of the fallen and reaffirming the Union’s commitment to the war effort.
AMVETS is working with the White House Commission on Remembrance to promote Old Glory’s Journey of Remembrance. The journey is a six-month tour of the United States counting down to the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day, when Old Glory will fly over the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington.
“Each stop on this countdown is a way for Americans to remember exactly what our men and women in uniform have fought for throughout our history,” said AMVETS National Commander John P. “JP” Brown III. “AMVETS is proud to be working with the (White House) commission to make this possible, especially with our close ties to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.”
Old Glory’s journey began on Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7 when the flag flew over the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. Other historic sites on the journey include Fort McHenry in Maryland, Palo Alto Battlefield in Texas, Chalmette in Louisiana, Independence Hall in Pennsylvania, Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
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