Rock Island National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony May 30th

Tanilo Sandoval stands at his brothers' Frank and Joe's gravesites at Rock Island National Cemetery on Arsenal Island. It is the tradition of Tanilo and his family to place flowers at each of the Hero Street Eight's graves every Memorial Day weekend.

The Rock Island National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m. on Monday, May 30th. Memorial Park is located off of the main Island road, Rodman Avenue at the corner of East Street. Memorial Day represents a day of national awareness and reverence, honoring the military men and women who gave their lives in defense of the nation and its values. Memorial Day honors fallen service members while Veterans Day is an opportunity for Americans to publicly recognize living military veterans.

 

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War Soldiers and a day to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, commander-in-chief, Grand Army of the Republic, proclaimed May 30 as Decoration Day by General Order No. 11. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May. The law took effect in 1971 at the federal level. In 2000, Congress established the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day.

 

There will be no parking at the cemetery for this ceremony except for individuals who are wheelchair bound. Parking for all others will be behind Memorial Park in the large lot. Buses will be transporting people from the parking lot to the cemetery and will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors should arrive early to ensure enough time to park their vehicles and be transported to the cemetery. For more information, call 309-782-2094.

 

Hero Street, a multi-part documentary series by Fourth Wall Films, explores the personal and family sagas behind each of the eight heroes and tells the compelling true story of an ongoing struggle to memorialize Tony Pompa, Frank Sandoval, William Sandoval, Claro Solis, Peter Masias, Joseph Sandoval, Joseph Gomez and John S. Muños.

The series combines interviews with family members, friends, veterans, community leaders and historians with vintage photos, film, and archival materials to tell an unforgettable story of American courage, character and perseverance.

Part 4 in the series, "An Infantryman from Hero Street: Joseph Sandoval's Story" is nearing completion and will premiere in the fall of this year.

To order the DVD for Riding the Rails to Hero Street (part 1), A Bridge too Far from Hero Street: William Sandoval's Story, or Fourth Wall Films' Emmy®-nominated and award-winning film Letters Home to Hero Street (co-produced with Lora Adams and WQPT), CLICK HERE!