Ceremony to honor 145th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address
Dedication Day ceremony will feature famous filmmaker Ken Burns
(Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) - 11/12/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE �
CONTACT:
Carl Whitehill
Media Relations Manager
Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
(717) 338-1055
In the days after President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, newspapers from around the country called his 10-sentence speech �silly,� and some who attended the dedication of Soldiers� National Cemetery said there was little or no applause.
One hundred and forty-five years later, the Gettysburg Address has become on of the world�s most-known speeches. People from all walks of life and from every corner of the world know the words �Four score and seven years ago.�
On Nov. 19th, Gettysburg will celebrate that speech and Lincoln�s short � but monumental � visit to this historic town. His trip was one that changed the course of American history.
The day starts at 10:15 a.m. with a Wreath-laying Ceremony at the Soldiers� National Cemetery. At 10:30 a.m., the Dedication Day Ceremonies feature speaker Ken Burns and the recital of the Gettysburg Address.
At 11:15 a.m., a Graveside Salute for the U.S. Colored Troops will be held at the cemetery. The speaker will be Harry Bradshaw Matthewes, Associate Dean and Director of the U.S. Pluralism Center at Hartwick College. Charles Parker and Henry Gooden, the only two black Civil War veterans buried at the Soldiers� National Cemetery will be honored.
The anniversary continues Saturday with a Remembrance Day Parade at 1 p.m. and the Sixth Annual Remembrance Illumination at the Soldiers� National Cemetery at 5:30 p.m.
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