Memorial Day Parade The Highlight Of Weekend Events In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The upcoming Memorial Day Parade in Doylestown is part of a nearly 160-year tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

Believed to be the nation's oldest, the Doylestown Memorial Day Parade steps off at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29. It is the highlight of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend — May 27-29 this year.

The parade is conducted annually to honor American veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the nation and its democratic ideals. Last year's parade included approximately 1,700 participants, representing more than 100 separate units including eight local school bands, and drew an estimated 15,000 spectators.

After a flag raising at War Memorial Field, the parade begins at Central Bucks West High School,
moves east on West Court Street, then east on West State Street, north on Main Street, and finally east on East Court Street to the Doylestown Cemetery where it culminates with a 30-minute memorial service, during which the United Veterans of Doylestown place wreaths to honor the community's fallen heroes.

Here's another Memorial Day event taking place over the long Memorial Day Weekend:

• Warrington Township will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Saturday, May 27 at 11 a.m., rain or shine, at Igoe Porter Wellings (IPW) Memorial Field located at 3095 Bradley Road, Chalfont. During the ceremony, the Veteran Affairs Committee will recognize Charles D. Baxter, United States Navy, Korea, a local veteran who has been approved to be added to the Memorial Wall for 2023. The event will also feature a wreath presentation by Dennis Igoe. Igoe’s brother Bill, a resident of Warrington, died on July 11, 1967 while serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Bill Igoe is one of the individuals for whom the park is named. Remarks will be made by State Rep. Brian Munroe (D-District 144), State Senator Frank Farry (R-District 6), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-District 1). Township officials and First Responders will also be in attendance.

As the observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit Doylestown area cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members, regardless of whether they served in the military.

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.