After seeking definitive information from several local news sources and the American Legion Post #7 in Gainesville, we learned that the American Legion Post 7’s 2018 Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 28th, will be held rain or shine. Dave Dellinger, one of the parade’s organizers added, “unless there is lightning.”
Dave Dellinger doesn’t want anyone marching with a tuba to be a lightning rod. So, keep an eye on the sky and check the forecast on Monday morning. Gainesville’s Weather Forecast.
Should it not be rained out and the show goes on, the American Legion Post 7’s 2018 Memorial Day Parade officially begins at 10 AM — although folks in the parade have been preparing for weeks.
Starting at 7 AM, marchers will assemble and line-up behind local fire and police departments, and the sponsors of the parade, the American Legion Post 7.
The staging takes place at the First Baptist Church near Gainesville’s screwiest intersection — the Rt 129 & Rt 60 split.
At 10 AM — unless there’s lightning — the parade heads toward downtown, before turning left onto Spring Street and the end of the parade’s trail.
If you’re smart (and you’re dressed for the potential of rain), get there early enough to snag a sweet spot to enjoy the festivities as they roll along down Green Street.
You might not want to get too close to the street when these guys drive by — all for a good cause.
Please Note: Ladies, save that photo for the next time “somebody” makes a joke about women drivers.
If you’ve ever been beaned by candy thrown from a vehicle in the parade, here’s good news. Now, only folks who actually march in the parade can bean you with thrown candy. Progress!
Please take a moment on Memorial Day to reflect on its purpose: to remember those who gave their lives in service to America.
Why We Celebrate Memorial Day
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.
Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11.
“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
Source: USMemorialDay.org
