Presidio Trust Announces 148th Memorial Day Ceremony Event
Memorial Day typically draws thousands to the Presidio.
The largest Bay Area Memorial Day tribute to America’s veterans and servicemen and women will be held at the San Francisco National Cemetery at the Presidio of San Francisco, beginning with a grand march from the Presidio Officers’ Club featuring the 191st Army Band, a color guard, veteran’s organizations and distinguished guests. The event will conclude with a 21-Gun-Salute by the U.S. Army’s 75th Pacific Division.
Monday May 30, 2016; timeline below:
- 10:30 a.m. Grand march of veterans and guests
- 11 a.m. Formal ceremony with special tributes to the veterans of the Korean War and Vietnam War, with comments by Mayor Ed Lee and wreath presentations by the Honorable Quentin L. Kopp, Captain USAFR (Ret), and by John Keker, 1st Lieutenant, USMC (Ret) and vice-chair of the Presidio Trust board of directors.
- 11:20 a.m. Flyover by the United States Coast Guard
- Noon 21-gun-salute
- 12:15 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 15 will assist attendees in placing 2,000 roses on gravesites. Flowers donated by the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers.
Event Locations:
- Grand March: 10:30 a.m. at the Presidio Officers’ Club (50 Moraga Avenue at Arguello)
- Ceremony: 11 a.m. at the San Francisco National Cemetery (1 Lincoln Blvd. at Sheridan)
The event is produced by Presidio Trust in partnership with the San Francisco Mayor’s Memorial Day Citizens Committee and the National Cemetery Administration. More than 2,500 people come to honor the memory of the men and women who sacrificed their lives while serving their country.
Parking at the Main Post is free on holidays, and a free Memorial Day shuttle will provide service between the Main Post and the National Cemetery beginning at 9:30 a.m. and running through 2 p.m.
Opportunities for broadcast include:
- Saturday, May 28 – 8 a.m. to noon. San Francisco Boy and Girl Scouts will place flags on the graves of US soldiers buried at the Presidio National Cemetery. Day of contact: Ken Chin, Scoutmaster: (415) 517-4974.
- Saturday, June 4 – Youth from the Bayview YMCA arrive by bus at the Presidio Officers’ Club at 9:30 a.m. and are escorted to the National Cemetery Overlook by the Buffalo Soldier Motorcycle Club. They will walk into the Cemetery from the Overlook to place flowers at the headstones of the over 450 Buffalo Soldier graves. Best vehicle entrance is through the Cemetery gate at 1 Lincoln Blvd. Go to top of the cemetery to meet group. Day of contact: Dana Polk, 415-640-1208.
National Cemetery in the Presidio is a designated National Historic Landmark, dating from the 1846 war with Mexico. More than 35,000 veterans and their dependents are buried there. It has long been a tradition for the Boy Scouts to decorate each grave in the cemetery with an American flag for Memorial Day. This year, the Girl Scouts will join the Boy Scouts in this tribute, placing the flags over the weekend. Following the program, the National Park Service will offer half-hour tours of the National Cemetery, and the Presidio Chapel will be open for prayer & meditation from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust The Presidio Trust (Trust) manages the Presidio of San Francisco, a new kind of national park located at San Francisco’s Golden Gate. Founded by Spain in 1776 as El Presidio de San Francisco, the Presidio served as a legendary U.S. Army post from 1846 to 1994. Now open for the public to enjoy, the Presidio offers museums and restaurants, 24 miles of hiking trails and scenic overlooks with stunning views, free public programs and events, a public golf course, the Inn at the Presidio and the Presidio Officers’ Club, San Francisco’s most historic building. A wide range of recreation, wellness, and dining options are provided by the Presidio’s 200 tenants. The Trust generates revenue for the park through rehabilitating and leasing historic buildings, and now operates the Presidio without taxpayer support. In 2015 The Presidio was recognized as a top destination by National Geographic Traveler’s magazine “Best of the World” list. To learn more please visit www.presidio.gov.