Roswell Prepares for 2013 Memorial Day Ceremony

Georgia’s largest Memorial Day ceremony will march onto the grounds of Roswell City Hall, Monday, May 27, in celebration and remembrance of those lost defending our country. 

The annual ceremony began in 1997, when locals came together to create a unique Memorial Day event, in a non-political, non-commercial ceremony to honor veterans and those who gave all. The event was set on recognizing the sacrifices individuals from all over the country, as well as those from Roswell, had made in protecting our freedom. That first ceremony attracted approximately 1,800 individuals. Since then, the event has grown to attract thousands of people from throughout Georgia and the southeast.

See below for a schedule of events and key ceremony details:

• Displays and exhibits to the public at 10 a.m.
• Pre-ceremony music will begin at 10:15 a.m.
• The ceremony will kick off at 11 a.m., accompanied by music from the Atlanta Wind Symphony and the Chattahoochee Celtic Pipes and Drums 

About the keynote speaker:

Charles G. Shepherd, Jr., this year’s featured speaker, was a First Lieutenant serving with the 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Division in the European Theater from July 16, 1944 until the end of the war in Europe. He received the Expert Infantryman’s Badge and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. As a Platoon Leader of K Company, 3rd Battalion, he was wounded twice receiving two Purple Heart Medals. Shepherd also received two Bronze Star medals for meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy in the European African Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. He participated in five major campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Central Europe. In 2002 he was inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School’s Hall of Fame. Shepherd received the Silver Star for Gallantry in action on 2 April, 1945 in the vicinity of Siegen, Germany.

Roswell City Hall is located at 38 Hill Street in Roswell. For additional information visit www.roswellmemorialday.com.