Honor Nation's Fallen Heroes At Glenview's Memorial Day Parade

GLENVIEW, IL — On Monday, local residents will have an opportunity to honor our nation's fallen heroes at the Glenview Memorial Day parade and ceremony. The parade begins at 10 a.m., according to the Village's website.

The parade begins at Depot and Grove streets, heading east to Pine Street, then south to Glenview Road and east to the Veterans Memorial at River Drive. A ceremony will take place following the parade with remarks and singing of the National Anthem and God Bless America.

Village Hall will be closed Monday, May 29, in observance of the holiday.

The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the Northern lives lost amid battle during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier, according to History.com. As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.

Waterloo, New York, is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town’s observance on May 5, 1866, predated Logan’s call for a day of remembrance. Local businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.

Until World War I, the holiday honored only those soldiers who died while fighting for the Union in the War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the tradition changed to remember all who have died while serving in the military.

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.