Memorial Day Ceremonies
Veterans Memorial Park Pensacola
Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance in honor of those who lost their lives in U.S. military service. Every year on the Sunday before, Veterans Memorial Park of Pensacola holds a ceremony commemorating the occasion. The event, which takes place on-site, usually includes a presentation of the Colors, singing of the National Anthem along with other patriotic musical performances, the presentation and laying of wreaths, and guest speakers. The event is open to all members of the public.
The Memorial Day Ceremony is an important opportunity for the local community, The Park Foundation, and Veteran organizations from across the country to come together and honor our friends and loved ones who left to serve our Nation and never made it home. We publish event schedules and updates here and on social media, so be sure to check back for information on this year's upcoming events.
Past Memorial Day Events
2023
A Message from the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation President:
In 2023, Foundation President Rob Doss recorded a special Memorial Day Message for the Pensacola and Veteran Communities.
Rob Doss,
Foundation President,
Maj. USMC, Ret.
Memorial Day 2023
Hello. My name is Rob Doss; I’m president of the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation in Pensacola, Florida.
For generations, young American men and women have stood, raised their right hand, and sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. They, as young people full of life, vigor, and opportunity ahead of them, swore that oath not knowing what their country would ask of them; they simply raised their hand and said, “Take me. I’ll go.”
Rob Doss
Foundation President
Maj. USMC, Ret.
And it’s these good and honorable men and women who, through the generations for nearly 250 years, have embraced that oath with all of their energy and commitment and then have proceeded to liberate the oppressed, lift up the discouraged, and give new hope and vision to the defeated in the four corners of the earth. They’ve placed our American freedom and ideals ahead of their own personal dreams and aspirations on the loneliest and most dangerous outposts on the planet.
We know very well the answer to the question that President Ronald Reagan once posed about the heroes of Normandy when he asked, “Where do we find such men?”
We can ask the same question today: Where do we find such men and women who fought and died at Normandy and in countless other battles before and since? You know where we find them… They come from homes and communities like ours. They’re our friends, our neighbors, and our classmates. They’re our brothers and sisters. They’re our parents and our aunts and uncles. They’re our grandchildren. They’re our husbands and wives. And, they’re our sons and daughters.
Their service is a part of all of us, and we’re a part of their service. That connection is what lies behind the importance of the words we speak when we say with all sincerity, “Thank you for your service.” It’s not only an expression of gratitude, it’s also a reflection of a kindred connection that we have to their service that, while we don’t always understand it, we appreciate it. As we appreciate it, we recognize that it’s impossible to place a value on it. Afterall, how do you place a value on something for which people are willing to give everything they are and have, and everything they will ever be and have?
On Sunday, May 28 at 1 PM, the day before Memorial Day, we’ll gather again at Veterans Memorial Park to pay tribute to the long line of citizens who selflessly stayed true to their oaths and laid down their lives for our great Nation.
We hope to see you there.
Respectfully,
Rob Doss
Foundation President
Maj. USMC, Ret.
Special Guest
The 2023 Memorial Day Guest Speaker was WEAR-T V3 Sports Director & Sports Association Hall of Fame inductee Dan Shugart.
Memorial Day 2023
Guest Speaker Dan Shugart
Dan Shugart is the sports director at WEAR-TV3 in Pensacola. Dan began his broadcasting career in 1980 after graduating from UCLA in 1979. His first broadcasting job came when he took a part-time news reporting job at WBSR-Radio in Pensacola. That fall, he was the play-by-play announcer for the Pensacola Wings semi-pro football team, which led to his hiring at WEAR in March, 1981.
Dan Shugart
Sports Director
He worked as a weekend sports anchor and general assignment news reporter until he was promoted to sports director in December, 1982. Dan received the Southern League’s Media Award in 2015, has twice earned the Associated Press’ award for the top story in Florida, and was cited by Special Olympics as Florida’s broadcaster of the year for his work with that organization. He has coached youth basketball and he joined his father in the Pensacola Sports Association Hall of Fame when he was elected to that honor in 2006.
Dan Shugart
Sports Director
Ceremonies
09:00 AM
- Exhibits Open
12:30 PM
- Event Welcome & Performance by The Blue Anchor Belles
1:00 PM
- Pipes & Drums - McGuire's Pub Pipe Band
- Presentation of the Colors - United States Marine Corps Color Guard
- National Anthem - Pensacola Opera Chorus
- Invocation - Paul Entrekin
- Patriotic Medley - Pensacola Opera Chorus
- Introductions
- Keynote Speaker - Dan Shugart
- Wreath Presentation
- Benediction - Paul Entrekin
- Rifle Salute & Taps