Remembering our veterans

Gabriella Walsh, Staff Writer

May 23, 2025

S Pakhrin from DC, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Every year, on the last Monday of May, we gather to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. As we enjoy time with family and friends, we also take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of this day, which is remembering the heroes who gave everything for our nation.

The origins of Memorial Day can be traced back to 1868, shortly after the Civil War. There were more than 600,000 soldiers that we lost in the Civil War.

General John A. Logan established Decoration Day on May 30, 1868 to honor those soldiers. The first national recognition of Decoration Day took place at Arlington National Cemetery, where General Logan gave a speech and over 5,000 participants honored the dead by placing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves.

Over the years, the name Decoration Day was slowly replaced by Memorial Day and was opened to celebrate all soldiers, not just the soldiers in the Civil War.

In 1971, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday, and it was moved to the last Monday in May as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

The purpose of Memorial Day is to remember and honor the individuals who have given their lives for the freedoms we often take for granted. These soldiers fought in wars, battles, and conflicts around the world, and their courage and dedication resulted in the ultimate sacrifice.

By celebrating Memorial Day, we ensure that their bravery is never forgotten, and we acknowledge the cost of the freedom we enjoy today. It reinforces a sense of community, as Memorial Day emphasizes the importance of honoring our history and sacrifices.

In Bethel Park, we have our very own tradition; every year, there is a parade on Memorial Day. The parade is from 8- 10 a.m.

The Bethel Park Marching Band will be performing in the parade. They will also perform the Star Spangled Banner at Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery.

Be sure to not only celebrate next Monday, but also remember all the soldiers we have lost for our country.

About the Contributor

Gabriella Walsh, Staff Writer

“1..2..Kick Up!” is what junior Gabriella Walsh hears on Friday nights in the fall. You can see her performing her tricks as a majorette in the Black Hawk Marching Band! This is her first year in Scholastic Publications and as a member of Hawk Eye. When asked why she joined the class she said, “It sounded like a fun class to take.” She’s planning on taking pictures for the yearbook and making social media posts. She has been a majorette for three years and was the very first freshman majorette in the Marching Band! Her favorite Marching Band memory is doing “Hot Time Bethel Victory” at the end of every halftime show. Outside of band, she also twirls for Passion Twirl and Poms. This past summer she was the Beg 15 World Open Solo Winner. When asked who her biggest inspiration is for twirling, she said, “Shaylie Fawcett.” Even though Gabriella is only a junior, she is pretty certain on what she wants to do in her future! She plans to go to college and be a feature twirler while also studying to become a history teacher! If she could have any superpower in the world, she would choose to have invisibility. When asked why, she said, “I’m not sure why, I just picked it because it sounds cool.” If she had to pick one person to have dinner with, she would pick Lana Del Rey. She said, “I’m so obsessed with her so she is obviously my first choice.” Her favorite Lana song is “Beautiful People Beautiful Problems.” She picks Starbucks over Dunkin, and her go-to order is an Iced Honey Apple Almondmilk Flat White Latte.