Latest news with #NationalMemorialDayParade
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
A Rock Icon and a 100-Year-Old WWII Veteran Tell America's Story
Matt McClain/The Washington Post Kate O'Neill, 9, left, and her sister, Olivia O'Neill, 5, talk to Gene Simmons of Kiss as their great-grandfather, Hal Urban, sits atop a float they prepare to take part in the National Memorial Day Parade on Monday. Harold 'Hal' Urban, in the same dress wool Eisenhower jacket he wore after helping liberate a concentration camp 80 years ago, gave the man standing next to him a head-to-toe inspection Monday morning. 'He's the one who sticks his tongue out?' Urban asked, before he met Gene Simmons on Memorial Day. 'Not really my music. I like Bing Crosby and Lawrence Welk.' Simmons, in leather pants, white snakeskin boots and dark glasses – no Kiss makeup – did not show his tongue when he met Urban. He stuck his hand out and held Urban's for a long, long beat, thanking the 100-year-old World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient for his part in the iconic rocker's history. Simmons's mother, as a teen, was held in that concentration camp. The men rode together on a sparkling, red-white-and-blue float through the nation's capital in the 20th annual Memorial Day parade that afternoon, bonded by a war story. Some fans shrieked for Simmons: 'Rock and roll! Geeeeene!' 'Kiss is so American,' said Gabriel Lourenco, 38, a chef and culinary educator from Brazil now working in D.C. He once cooked for the Rolling Stones, so he came to his first Memorial Day parade to see a rock star. Many cheered for Urban: 'Thank you, sirrrr!' 'What a story,' said Danielle Singley, 43, who comes to D.C. from Baltimore for every Memorial Day parade to honor her family members who served. David Logan, 68, who served in the Gulf War, said it's important for veterans like himself and Urban to keep telling their stories for generations because 'if it comes time for the next generation to serve, they'll know why we did it and what it was for.' The parade was a mix of local diehards, veterans and visitors, with a noticeable uptick on Trump gear and red Make America Great Again hats among the crowd. As the parade crowd was gathering and Simmons and Urban were heading to their float, President Donald Trump delivered a speech to thousands of people at Arlington National Cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater. Families of fallen soldiers were gathered to commemorate the sacrifices of their loved ones, many of them carrying red and white roses to later place on top of headstones. Accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and reflected on the ultimate sacrifice paid by so many fallen warriors and their families. 'Every Gold Star family fights a battle long after the victory is won,' Trump said, 'and today we lift you up and we hold you high.' Meanwhile, Simmons and Urban met in a quiet room to unpack their unlikely story. Urban introduces himself as '101 in July,' when asked his age, not just 100. Ever forward-thinking. Simmons, 75, told him: 'When I grow up, I want to be just like you.' It was only recently that Simmons learned the details of his mother's harrowing life before immigrating to Israel and then Queens. 'My mother was in a concentration camp at 14 years of age,' he said. Flora Klein spoke little of her life in Ravensbruck, a transfer camp, and Mauthausen, where she was 19 and the last survivor in her family when it was liberated on May 5, 1945. 'If it were not for the brave men like you,' Simmons said, pausing to hold back tears, 'I wouldn't be here. My mother wouldn't have been here. Millions and millions of people wouldn't be here. Even with the millions that were incinerated.' Another long pause. 'I can't say enough about this,' said the rock legend, tall and commanding when he entered the room and visibly humbled as he heard more from Urban, who was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, then sent back to the front line while his shrapnel wound continued to bleed. In an M3 half-track mounted with a .50 caliber machine gun ready to hit aircraft, Urban ran the roadblock when Mauthausen was liberated. 'The concentration camps were all run by SS,' he said. 'They were the fanatics. You know, a lot of them did not want to surrender.' He headed to the concentration camp on the second day. 'It was just a mess. People running all over. Some were crying, some were shouting … skinny and weak,' Urban said. There's no way to know if he met or saw Simmons's mother, though they were both certainly there at the same time. Earlier, Urban described the unshakable smell of burned flesh that permeated the camp. His fellow soldiers buried about 500 bodies that were in piles when the troops arrived. He didn't tell that part to Simmons. 'It was a bigger emotional thing, seeing this, than combat,' he said. 'Combat is what you're trained to do. But you weren't trained for that.' About 90,000 people died in the camp along the Danube River near Linz, in the Austrian land annexed by Germany at the start of the war. Urban left the Army on New Year's Eve in 1945 with relentless nightmares. 'The psychologist at our VA said, when you start raising a family, they sort of go away,' Urban said. He had nine children and became a soybean farmer in Illinois. The nightmares subsided. 'And then when your family's growing up, the psychologist said the nightmares start coming back,' he said. 'Which they did.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Thousands turn out for 81st Rockville Memorial Day Parade
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. () – Large crowds lined the streets of downtown Rockville Monday for the 81st Rockville Memorial Day Parade. Thousands in Rockville Town Center came together to honor the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country. 'It's really nice to see a community like this,' Andrew Bryant said. 'It's diverse, it's large, and everybody can still come together to a singular event.' National Memorial Day Parade in DC honors fallen heroes Bryant has been coming to the Rockville Memorial Day Parade since he was a child. He said it holds a special place in his heart. 'Having family members who have served and working for the military myself, it just brings that much more meaning to who really gave for this country, who really cares about this country,' Bryant said. Betty Graham said coming out to show appreciation for the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country was a must for her family. 'It's like something we have to continue to do to honor them,' Graham said. Duvrese Scarlett, with the Daughters of the American Revolution, also came out to the parade. 'There's complete pride in the fact that we're all here together in the memory of those who have served,' Scarlett said. Memorial Day: How it came to be, how it evolved The organization participated in the parade's wreath-laying ceremony. 'We come out to show support for the whole community,' Carol Petrov with Daughters of the American Revolution, said. 'So they're remembered.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Veterans honor fallen brothers at Vietnam Veterans War Memorial
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — On this Memorial Day, veterans, family members and onlookers honored those killed during the Vietnam War. 'We always set this day aside just to remember everyone on that wall,' said Tom Foor, who visited the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial Monday. 'They paid the price, and we paid it too. We think about them often.' Foor served in the Army First Cavalry Division in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. 'Those guys died serving our country. They need to be remembered always,' he said. 'That black granite wall will preserve that, and people can go down through that aisle, and they can look, and they can see how much of a tremendous burden it put on the country and it put on us.' National Memorial Day Parade in DC honors fallen heroes More than 58,000 names are etched into the memorial honoring those killed during the war. 'You look at the names and you see your reflection. You grow older, they don't,' said Bob McLaughlin, who served in Vietnam in 1969. 'We've had marriages, children, grandchildren, births, new experiences. They don't.' Harry Metzler, who presented a regimental wreath at the memorial Monday, said it's so important to remember those who sacrificed everything. 'It matters because these people gave their all. I fought with them side by side. They were my brothers, you honor your brothers that actually saved the nation, saved our freedom,' he said. 'Just don't forget and don't repeat.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
20th Annual National Memorial Day Parade Honors Sacrifices
WASHINGTON—Thousands of spectators lined Constitution Ave. in the nation's capital Monday for the 20th annual National Memorial Day Parade, many waving miniature American flags as performers passed by. People from across the country came together to enjoy the country's largest Memorial Day commemoration and to pay tribute to the approximately 1.3 million military service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. Before the action began, musical acts took to the stage to set a patriotic tone, with military ensembles from the U.S. Army and Navy joining the chorus. The parade took place under a bright blue sky, surrounded by national monuments and historic institutions, and started at 7th St. NW and Constitution, at the corner of the National Archives building that houses the country's founding documents. From horse-drawn carriages to tanks, vehicles of every type made their way through the city in a procession that lasted longer than two hours. The route ended near the Washington Monument and the White House. Related Stories 5/26/2025 5/26/2025 The 250th anniversary this year of the start of the American military, including the Army, Navy, and Marines, was one theme of the festivities. Others included the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the 75th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, and the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War's conclusion. Historical actors brought past generations to life, with appearances by George and Martha Washington and Abraham Lincoln, among others. Participants in military attire from the Revolutionary War period to modern times marched along with active-duty soldiers, whose crisp formations elicited cheers of approval on multiple occasions from those lining the street. Floats depicted historical figures at the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington on May 26, 2025. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times Some attendees traveled from across the country to see their family members perform, including Valery Parchment, whose son Elijah Neale is serving in the Coast Guard and was selected for the Presidential Honor Guard. 'As a mom, I pray that he will be safe and come home and protect our country, and I'm super proud,' she told The Epoch Times. 'But I do not want him to give the ultimate sacrifice for some foolish war. We the people choose not to fight unnecessary wars and to keep our troops around the world safe.' Her sister said the holiday is a time to reflect on the true costs of freedom and to pay respects to those who fought to protect American liberty. 'What people need to remember is that a lot of Americans who came before us died for this country,' Olivia Lockwood, of Richmond, Virginia, told The Epoch Times. (L-R) John Lockwood, Olivia Lockwood, and Valery Parchment attend the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington on May 26, 2025, to see Parchment's son, Elijah Neale, perform in his role in the Coast Guard's prestigious Presidential Honor Guard. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times Gene Simmons, founder and bassist for the rock band Kiss, rode in a float alongside WWII hero Hal Urban, who helped liberate Simmons's mother from the Mauthausen concentration camp in 1945. Actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, both longtime advocates for veterans, participated, as did celebrity chef and veteran Robert Irvine, who was spotted interviewing other participants on the sidelines to help raise awareness for his foundation organized to help veterans. Gene Simmons (L) and Hal Urban, who helped liberate Simmons's mother from a concentration camp in 1945, rode together on a float at the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington on May 26, 2025. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times The event also coincided with other D.C.-area observances, such as wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery attended by President Donald Trump and the National Memorial Day Concert on the Capitol's West Lawn the previous evening. Together, these activities created a weekend of reflection and gratitude, with the song 'Taps' played in the morning and evening to honor the fallen.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Buses to replace trains on parts of Blue, Orange, Silver lines for Memorial Day
WASHINGTON () — On Memorial Day, travelers throughout the DMV using the Metro can anticipate delays, as some stations will be closed and buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said that on Monday, May 26, free shuttle buses will replace trains between Cheverly and the Eastern Market station on the Orange Line. Free shuttle buses will also be available between Addison Road and Eastern Market on the Blue and Silver lines. Road closures in DC for National Memorial Day Parade Metro noted that Potomac Avenue, Stadium-Armory, Benning Road, Minnesota Avenue, Deanwood and Capitol Heights stations will be closed on the holiday as crews repair aerial structures over the Anacostia River. Passengers can expect the following train schedules for the holiday: Blue Line: Trains run every 12 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m. between Franconia-Springfield to Federal Center SW. Passengers should transfer to Orange or Silver Line trains to continue heading east of Federal Center SW. Orange Line: Trains will run every 12 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m. between Vienna and Eastern Market. Trains will run every 10 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m. between Cheverly and New Carrollton. Silver Line: Trains will run every 12 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m. between Ashburn and Eastern Market. Trains will run every 10 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m. between Addison Road and Downtown Largo. Red Line: Normal Service Yellow Line: Normal service Green Line: Normal service Metro will close at midnight, and normal weekday fares will be in effect on the holiday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
