American Valor Quarterly Issue 6 - Spring/Summer 2009 | Page 4

The 2009 National Memorial Day Parade
Presented by the American Veterans Center
Following the Civil War, communities around the nation
began to set aside a day to remember those who had been
lost. These ceremonies coalesced around what was then called
“Decoration Day,” what we now know as Memorial Day. By
the late 1800s, the holiday had become an annual tradition,
as businesses would close and parades were held. Following
the First World War, Memorial Day took on a new meaning,
and became our military’s most sacred day.

Despite the importance of Memorial Day, recent years have
seen a decline in public awareness of the day. Many parades
in towns and cities around the country have faded away as the
World War II generation that carried the tradition has aged.
Even Washington, DC - our nation’s capital and the headquarters of our military - was without a parade for nearly 70 years.
Recognizing that Memorial Day is about much more than
barbecues and baseball games, in 2005 the American Veterans
Center decided to bring the tradition of a parade on Memorial
Day back to Washington, DC. The inaugural National Memorial Day Parade proved a tremendous success, drawing tens of
thousands of spectators to the National Mall to pay tribute to
all those who have served and sacrificed.
In just four years, the National Memorial Day Parad