THE CITY OF SEATTLE’S GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023, AT 10 A.M. AT BENAROYA HALL
MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY HONORS THE WASHINGTON STATE FALLEN HEROES WHO HAVE DIED WHILE IN SERVICE TO THEIR COUNTRY
Seattle, WA – The Garden of Remembrance, located at Benaroya Hall on Second Avenue between Union and University streets in downtown Seattle, will hold its annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 29, 2023, at 10 a.m. The ceremony honors the Washington State fallen heroes who have died while in service to their country. The theme of this year’s program is “Honoring Our Fallen Heroes by Honoring Today’s Veterans.” The keynote speaker will be Mike Schindler, a U.S. Navy veteran and CEO of Operation Military Family. Following his remarks will be guest speaker and U.S. Air Force veteran Samantha Powers, who is the Director of Student Veteran Life at the University of Washington.
The observance will include a presentation of wreaths following the tolling of the bell and a performance of “Taps” by Seattle Symphony trumpet player Mike Myers. The ceremony is sponsored by the Garden of Remembrance Advisory Board, Benaroya Hall, the City of Seattle, the Gold Star Families of Washington and the Northwest Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. This event is ADA accessible, and there will be free parking in the Benaroya Hall Garage accessible on Union Street and Second Avenue.
GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE
The Garden of Remembrance is an official state memorial dedicated to the more than 8,000 Washington State citizens who have given their lives in the service of our country since 1941, including those who served in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War and post-9/11 conflicts. Every year on Memorial Day, families are invited together at the garden to honor their fallen loved ones. Some bring photos and other mementos to leave at the wall. The Garden of Remembrance is a half-acre, L-shaped space designed by world-renowned landscape architect Robert Murase (1938–2005), and it lies along the south and west sides of Benaroya Hall. Memorial walls of granite, lined by slender reflecting pools, are oriented so that the names face the western sun. In addition to the walls, excerpts from poems honor veterans who died in our nation’s wars, while lines from letters remind us of the personal connections with home that each name represents. The reflecting pools honor those missing in action, and a waterfall honors those who died in peacetime and other national service. The golden oak tree that centers the garden symbolizes remembrance of the cycle of life, and honors the fallen and their families. The garden was dedicated on July 4, 1998.
BENAROYA HALL
Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle. The hall is renowned for its pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. It has two auditoria: S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium and Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. Opened in 1998, the complex celebrates the vital role of performance events, sustains commercial life on one avenue, and offers a public space, in the form of a terraced garden, along another.
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