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Observance

Monday, May 28, 2012

Photo Gallery: Downtown Leesburg Observes Memorial Day

The annual ceremony has taken place in the town for at least 30 years. It honors the men and women who fought bravely for our country.

An annual Memorial Day Observance took place at the Loudoun County Courthouse Monday morning, where soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen, who have served in defense of our country, were recognized. Loudoun County High School's NJROTC posted the colors while Boy Scout Troop 1159 and Girls Scouts Association 70 led the Pledge of Allegiance. The national anthem was performed by The Songbirds and a prayer was offered by Father John Paul Mosimann of St. John the Apostle Roman Catholic Church. Patriotic music, military re-enactors, the laying of the wreaths and a traditional rifle salute were also a part of the ceremony.   “This is one of the most important events that the town sponsors every year and it’s important, especially in these days of…

Happy Memorial Day, Leesburg

Find out when the holiday became official, who ordered it, and why.

Today is Memorial Day, looked on as the start of the summer season, and a time for family gatherings and sporting events. But the true meaning of the day is underlined by the continuing sacrifices made by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and other tense areas. The first official observance of Memorial Day was on this date in 1868, ordered by General John Logan, when flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. From the Civil War through Vietnam, some 566,000 U.S. service personnel died in combat, more than half of them in World War II. Across the U.S., there are just under 22 million veterans of the armed forces. Profile America is beginning its 16th year as a public service of the U.S…

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