Shiloh National Military Park hosts annual Memorial Day ceremony

SHILOH, Tenn. — Shiloh National Military Park hosted their annual Memorial Day ceremony Monday in the Shiloh National Cemetery, where nearly 4,000 soldiers have been laid to rest.

The ceremony included readings of war stories from soldiers who fought in the Civil War.

Park Superintendent Allen Etheridge says they are grateful to show their respect for the men and women who served.

“Come together to honor, mourn, remember, and pay tribute to the women and men of our military services that have given the ultimate sacrifice, died in the line of duty,” Ethridge said.

Last year’s ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19. However, Etheridge says after regulations began to lift, they decided to do the ceremony in-person this year.

“We were pleased to be back in-person this year because of last year we took a hiatus for the pandemic. Now that the pandemic is starting to slow, we decided to have an in-person event,” Etheridge said.

Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Park Hills gave the ceremony’s commencement speech. He says this is the first speech he’s given since his retirement, and it is an honor to attend the service at Shiloh.

“This cemetery, to me, is the most remarkable of them all because of the serenity of this place, the river and the rural area here. So, to me, it is a real honor to be able to come here and do this,” Hills said.

He says Memorial Day is important to remember those who fought for their country.

“Memorial Day is a day that we should keep in our hearts everyday and always honor the fellow soldiers,” Hills said.

Etheridge says the park is open to the public.