Memorial Day Ceremony & Taps Across America

The remembrance event is free to attend in the Vietnam Experience exhibit starting at 11:30 a.m. The ceremony will include a presentation of colors and Pledge of Allegiance by Lucy Beckham High School JROTC cadets and Reverend Iris J. Brown will sing a patriotic medley. A local musician will perform Taps on a bagpipe. The featured speaker will be Tara McClary Reeves, daughter of Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient Clebe McClary.

Patriots Point will continue its tradition of participating in Taps Across America. This event, launched by CBS Evening News correspondent Steve Hartman, encourages musicians across the country to participate in a nationwide performance of Taps in recognition of fallen service members. At 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, a group of 10 musicians from Hanahan Middle School and Hanahan High School will join in and play Taps on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown.

In addition to the ceremony, the museum will show the Oscar-winning documentary “The Fighting Lady” in the Smokey Stover Theater aboard the USS Yorktown from Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30. The film showcases the heroism of the Yorktown crew during World War II.

The remembrance ceremony in the Vietnam Experience exhibit is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available from 11-11:30 a.m. Any visitors who wish to tour the museum, hear Taps Across America on the flight deck, or watch “The Fighting Lady” in the ship’s theater must purchase a general admission ticket.