Memorial Day Honors Fallen U.S. Soldiers In Iraqi War

Presidio of San Francisco (May 9, 2003) — The City’s traditional Memorial Day ceremony, which takes place May 26 at 11 am in the Presidio of San Francisco National Cemetery, commemorates fallen U.S. soldiers in the Iraq War as well as the men and women who gave their lives in the service of their country.

The day’s events start at 10 am with a parade from the Main Post Parade Ground at Sheridan Avenue which is the south end of the Main Post. This year, the Concord High School Band will play inside the National Cemetery just before the 11 am official ceremony.

Memorial Day 2003 is expected to draw large numbers of veterans and their families as U.S. Iraqi War soldiers for the most part have come home. The ceremony however will include a reading of names for those American soldiers who died in Iraq this year.

The cemetery at the Presidio was designated a national site in the 1880s. More than 40,000 veterans and their dependents are buried here, some dating as far back as the 1840s following the war with Mexico.

Following the ceremony, the National Park Service rangers will lead walks through the San Francisco National Cemetery. The walks highlight the final resting places of Medal of Honor recipients and other historic military figures. They begin at the main gate of the National Cemetery, and will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. The tours take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

The PresidiGo Free Shuttle will take visitors from the Lombard Gate to the Main Post every 30 minutes.