From the Presidio of San Francisco:

Military Post Turned National Park Site Has Honored Memorial Day for 157 Years

The Presidio of San Francisco, a legendary former Army post that is now among America’s most visited national park sites, will host a variety of events commemorating Memorial Day on Monday, May 26. 

Events include a major public gathering at San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio, which is the final resting place for 30,000 veterans and their family members. A ceremony honoring Memorial Day has been held there for 157 years. The event is presented by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and regularly draws more than 2,000 guests. 

Other activities in the park include special hours for the Presidio Officers’ Club History Exhibition, an organ concert at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, a history talk at Fort Point National Historic Site and more. 

The Presidio is a National Historic Landmark District and was an important military post for 218 years, encompassing historic events of global significance. Memorial Day honors the one million Americans who died while serving in the United States armed forces and the remarkable commitment and sacrifices made by active-duty military personnel and veterans.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS AT THE PRESIDIO 157^th Memorial Day Commemoration at the  Monday, May 26, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., San Francisco National Cemetery, 1 Lincoln Blvd, San Francisco. For more information, call 650-589-7737 or email: goldengatenc@va.gov. Free.

The Department of Veterans Affairs presents the official City and County of San Francisco Memorial Day Observance in the Presidio. The program includes Master of Ceremonies Ken Wayne; the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West Travis Brass; flyover by the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station SF; distinguished speakers; and the Gold Star Wreath presentation.

Link: https://presidio.gov/explore/events/memorial-day-commemoration-in-the-presidio

Meditative Organ Concert with Robert Gurney, May 26, 12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. (following the Commemoration), Interfaith Center, Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop. Contact: 415-561-3930; email Presidiointerfaith@gmail.com, Free https://presidio.gov/explore/events/memorial-day-commemoration-in-the-presidio

Presidio Officers’ Club History ExhibitionDate: May 26, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 50 Moraga Ave., Presidio, Free. The Presidio Officers’ Club is the backdrop for the Presidio History Exhibition, which traces the Presidio from its earliest indigenous history to its conversion from military post to national park site. Artifacts, images, and storytelling bring military service and history to life. The special exhibition Exclusion considers the Presidio’s role in the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII. Link: https://presidio.gov/explore/attractions/presidio-officers-club

The Walt Disney Family Museum and Mary Blair: Mid-Century MagicDate: May 26 (through Sept. 1), 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.) The Walt Disney Family Museum, 104 Montgomery St. General admission to The Walt Disney Family Museum is free year-round for active, retired, and veteran U.S. military personnel, as well as their spouses and dependents. The museum also participates in the Blue Star Museums program, which grants free admission to U.S. military families between Armed Forces Day and Labor Day. Active-duty U.S. military personnel and up to five family members with a valid ID can redeem complimentary main galleries admission and entry to the new special exhibition, Mary Blair: Mid-Century Magic with a suggested donation of $5.  www.waltdisney.org

Fort Point History Talk: Monday, May 26, 11:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Fort Point National Historic Site, 201 Marine Dr., Free. Join National Park Service rangers to learn about Fort Point’s history in this 15-minute talk. The program is accessible. No reservation or registration is required. https://www.nps.gov/fopo/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

Main Post History Loop, Self-Guided Tour. Monday, May 26, All day, free. As a National Historic Landmark District, there’s history to explore almost everywhere you look within the Presidio. Nowhere is that history more concentrated than in the center of the park at the Main Post. This itinerary includes a view on the historic Montgomery Street Barracks, once home to hundreds of enlisted men, Funston Avenue “Officers’ Row,” Chapel of Our Lady, the Presidio Officers’ Club, Pershing Square, and more. https://presidio.gov/explore/itineraries/main-post-history-loop

Presidio Memorials and Monuments, Self-Guided TourDate: May 26, All day free. There are eight memorials and monuments in the Presidio, including the Vietnam War Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the World War II West Coast Memorial to the Missing. Explore them on foot, or take a free Presidio Go Shuttle around the park route. https://presidio.gov/explore/blog/discover-eight-presidio-memorials-and-monuments

Presidio Pop Up Food Trucks, May 26, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Main Parade Lawn and Outpost.  Food for purchase. Presidio Pop Up features food trucks, carts, and tents with delicious food that celebrates the Bay Area’s diverse cultures. Check here for the roster of vendors for the day, expanded for Memorial Day.Link: https://presidio.gov/explore/attractions/presidio-pop-up

About Memorial Day in the Presidio. In 1884, the U.S. established the San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio for members of all military branches and their families. Large public commemorations of Memorial Day began to be held at the Presidio in 1893 when a local GAR post secured a plat in the San Francisco National Cemetery for the interment of its members. With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, and the assembling of thousands of volunteer troops from around the country in San Francisco and at the Presidio, Memorial Day took on new significance, and the city’s primary public ceremonies began to be held at the Presidio. The Army, the Grand Army, and newer veteran organizations organized the annual event, and a permanent rostrum for the ceremony was constructed in 1915. 1949 marked the first year that no Civil War veteran participated in a Memorial Day observance in the San Francisco Bay area.

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Spanning nearly 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. It became a military post under three flags, and subsequently a national park site in 1994. Today, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov and @presidiosf.