Share Photos, Memories At A Memorial Day Parade Exhibit
On Monday, May 27, the Ridgewood Glendale Memorial Day Parade will step off for the 75th time since its founding in 1928.
As part of the events, the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society (GRHS), together with the Ridgewood Glendale Memorial Day Parade Committee and Community Board 5, will have an exhibit on the of the parade, the monuments that were erected for the residents of Glendale and Ridgewood who gave their lives in World War I.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by Gen. John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. After World War I, the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.
The Memorial Day Exhibit Committee would like to reach out to our community and ask for memorabilia, including pictures, newspaper clippings and programs of past parades.
If you have information or items that you would like to temporarily loan to the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society, please contact our website www.onderdonkhouse.org (Please identify the Subject: Memorial Day) or leave a message at the Society’s office 1-718-456-1776.
Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, May 15, but of course, earlier to better. Due to limited exhibit space, not all items will be used.
If you are a descendent of the 131 service members whose names are on the memorials (21 on the Glendale Memorial and 110 on the Ridgewood Memorial), we would be interested recognizing your attendance at the Memorial Day Parade and would feature any artifacts from your family.
The Memorial Day Parade 75th Anniversary Exhibit will be on display at the parade and afterward at one of the veteran venues in Glendale.
This event is funded in part from public service grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of New York, supported by City Council members Diana Reyna and Elizabeth Crowley and by members of the Society and with the leadership of Board 5 and the Ridgewood Glendale Memorial Day Committee.
