Why do people visit Soldiers’ National Cemetery? How does Soldiers’ National Cemetery draw patriots to Gettysburg? … I think you need to feel it, hear it, or touch it to understand.
Soldiers’ National Cemetery Draws Patriots to Gettysburg
For taps…
Check out this May 12 article in the Hanover (PA) Evening Sun that reports that “One Hundred Nights of Taps” is coming to Gettysburg beginning on Memorial Day, 2017. Even if you cannot make it to Gettysburg this spring or summer, please consider listening to the video in which Navy Lt. Joshua Corney explains why he plays taps.
For beauty…
Here is a Civil War Cycling article that includes a photo essay and a brief history of the national military cemetery at Gettysburg. The cemetery rests between Taneytown Road and Baltimore Pike. It also shares a common border with the town’s Evergreen Cemetery, where Civil War civilians are buried.
No trip to Gettysburg is complete without visiting Soldiers’ National Cemetery. So park your bike and walk the cemetery. You may find that early morning and dusk are the best times to visit, mostly for the serenity that embraces those quiet hours.
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. If you cannot visit a military cemetery or grave, please consider what you can do online to remember our deceased veterans.
You might also enjoy these Civil War Cycling articles…
- How to Find Graves in Soldiers’ National Cemetery
- Trees in Soldiers’ National Cemetery – A Photo Gallery
The National Park Service offers a free, downloadable PDF brochure (“National Cemetery Walking Tour”). Although bicycles are not allowed in the cemetery for obvious reasons, as of this writing the National Park Service offers two bicycle racks, one at each entrance. Another option is to lock your bicycle in your car parked at the National Cemetery Parking Lot on Taneytown Road.