Memorial Day is observed as a time to remember the men and women who gave their lives for the country and for personal freedoms, according to a May 25 announcement. The occasion includes an invitation to read ‘The Bivouac of the Dead,’ a poem by Theodore O’Hara that is inscribed on McClellan Gate, the original entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
The poem reflects on fallen soldiers, stating: “The muffled drum’s sad roll has beat / The soldier’s last tattoo; / No more on life’s parade shall meet / That brave and fallen few.” It continues: “On Fame’s eternal camping-ground / Their silent tents are spread, / And Glory guards, with solemn round, / The bivouac of the dead.”
Other verses highlight themes such as absence from battle and remembrance: “No rumor of the foe’s advance / Now swells upon the wind; / No troubled thought at midnight’s dance, / Of loved ones left behind;” and “No vision of the tyrant’s wrath, / The night-march done, / The weary watch, the camp-fire’s path, / That e’er shall be begun.”
Grant, a Republican, was elected to the Illinois State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 47th House District, replacing previous state representative Deanne Mazzochi, according to the American Financial Services Association.
Memorial Day serves as an annual reminder for reflection on those who have served and sacrificed.
