After cancelling last year’s ceremony due to COVID, one of the longest running Memorial Day events returns to the national military park. On Monday, May 31, at 11:00 am, Shiloh National Military Park will host its annual Memorial Day observance ceremony in the Shiloh National Cemetery. This time-honored service will include music, patriotic salutes, and the laying of a wreath on the grave of an unknown soldier.

“Memorial Day is a day for remembering all the people who have died while serving in our country's armed forces,” said Superintendent Allen Etheridge. Originally known as Decoration Day, it began after the Civil War to commemorate the soldiers who died in the war. “We are pleased to once again be able to invite everyone to commemorate our fallen heroes,” said Etheridge.

The keynote speaker this year is retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Parker Hills. Parker Hills served almost 32 years in the U.S. Army uniform in active and reserve components. He owns Battle Focus, a leadership training company that trains soldiers, Marines, airmen, tourists, and corporate leaders.  He holds an undergraduate degree in commercial art from the University of Southern Mississippi; a Master’s degree in educational psychology from Sul Ross State University; and is a 1995 graduate of the U.S. Army War College. He is the author of A Study in Warfighting: Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads; co-author of the Vicksburg Campaign Driving Tour Guide; and co-author with Edwin C. Bearss of Receding Tide: Vicksburg and Gettysburg. General Hills has been married to his wife Carol, a native of Hattiesburg, for 43 years. The Hills reside in Clinton, Mississippi.

Following the cemetery service, ranger led programs will be offered on the battlefield. A complete schedule will be available at the front desk of the park’s visitor center beginning that morning. The service and ranger programs are free and open to the public. Mask are still required for un-vaccinated persons in the interior of buildings, or spaces where social distancing cannot be achieved.

For more information on Shiloh National Military Park’s events, visit us on the web at www.nps.gov/shil, or call the visitor center at (731) 689-5696. You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShilohNMP, on Twitter at twitter.com/ShilohNPS, and on Instagram @ShilohNPS.