North New Castle News

City of Wilmington issued the following announcement on May 24.

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and our City’s residents and businesses enthusiastically support the annual and historic efforts of the Wilmington Memorial Day Parade Committee to honor our nation’s deceased war heroes. Here are the details about this year’s event—the 155th consecutive Memorial Day Parade in Wilmington—to be held Monday, May 30, 2022.

The oldest continuous parade in the United States will take place on Monday, May 30 along the Delaware Avenue parade route

The Wilmington Memorial Day Committee invites the public to attend Wilmington’s 2022 Memorial Day parade, the oldest continuous parade in the country. This year marks the 155th consecutive observance of the traditional Memorial Day, May 30, in Wilmington.  

 

The parade lines up at 5:15 p.m. and steps off on Delaware Avenue at Woodlawn Avenue at 6 p.m. Participants will march east along Delaware Avenue to the Civil War Monument at Broom Street, where those who died in the nation’s wars will be honored with a memorial service. Mayor Purzycki is among the local dignitaries scheduled to give brief remarks.

 

Delaware State Representative Charles Postles will serve as Grand Marshall and Speaker in Wilmington’s 2022 Memorial Day parade and observance on Monday, May 30. Representative Postles will speak about his ancestor, James Parke Postles, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from Wilmington, Delaware, for his courageous action in voluntarily delivering an order in the face of heavy Confederate fire on July 2, 1863, at the battle of Gettysburg while serving with the Union Army’s Company A, 1st Delaware Infantry. James Parke Postles survived the Civil War and died on May 27, 1908. He is buried at the Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery, 701 Delaware Avenue, in Wilmington.

 

The oldest, continuous parade in the United States also has an interesting history. On May 5, 1868, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) commander in chief General John Alexander Logan issued General Order #11, which established the Thirtieth Day of May as Memorial Day to honor those who had fallen during the War.  The GAR was the largest organization of Union veterans of the Civil War. That same year, a group of New Castle County citizens formed a Memorial Day Committee.  Through their efforts, the City of Wilmington began conducting ceremonies and activities on May 30 in compliance with General Logan’s Order.  Subsequent members of that original Committee have continued in the spirit and effort of the original members, honoring the nation’s war dead on May 30. The Committee feels it is important to pass on the tradition of honoring those who have given their lives for our country. For more information, visit: www.wilmingtonmemorialdayparade.com

Original source can be found here.