Memorial Day

Every year in my hometown, Montrose, PA., we have a parade and a ceremony afterwards at a place we call "the green." There is a memorial there that is surrounded by cannons that has just been refinished about two years ago. The ceremony takes place in front of and around this memorial statue. There are different speakers every year that talk about people serving and dieing for our country. They have a wreath dedication to honor the dead. There is usually some singing and prayers. This year the guest speaker was Chris Carney. He is a congressman for Pennsylvania. He talked about how Memorial Day is 140 years old and how it is the same because there is always the dead to be remembered. He read something from 1868 from the first Memorial Day. The first Memorial Day was in Waterloo, New York, which I learned this year. At the ceremony they usually give out awards for the parade floats and for essay contest winners. The essay topics are why I am an American patriot and things of that nature. There is an art contest as well. People gather around to show their respect and remember those who have died.