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| Hundreds of participants marched across the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge on Monday, May 25, 2026, traveling from Vidalia, Louisiana, to Natchez National Cemetery for the annual Miss-Lou Memorial Day Parade. Photo by William Terrell/The Bluff City Post (Click on image to enlarge.) |
NATCHEZ, Miss. — Several hundred people crossed the
Natchez-Vidalia Bridge under cloudy skies Monday, May 25, traveling from
Vidalia, Louisiana, to Natchez National Cemetery in observance of the Miss-Lou
Memorial Day Parade. The parade, which began in the late 1800s, spans a
four-mile route and is one of the oldest continuous Memorial Day traditions in
the United States.
During a brief stop at the Natchez Visitor Center on the
east side of the bridge, a historical marker commemorating the parade was
unveiled across the street at 639 S. Canal St., in front of the Holiday Inn
Express.
Laura Ann Jackson, chair of the Natchez parade committee,
said she was elated by the day’s ceremonies and deeply moved by the unveiling
of the new marker, acquired through the Mississippi Department of Archives and
History.
“We are proud to honor all of our brave men and women who
have served — and continue to serve — in the U.S. military, and we are
especially grateful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,”
Jackson said. “With the unveiling of ‘The 30th of May Parade’ historical
marker, we also recognize the citizens of Vidalia, Louisiana, and Natchez who
have participated in this historic parade since the late 1800s.”
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“The 30th of May Parade” historical marker was unveiled
on May 25, 2026, at 639 S. Canal St. in Natchez, to commemorate the Miss-Lou
Memorial Day Parade, one of the oldest continuous Memorial Day traditions in
the United States. Photo by Roscoe Barnes III (Click on image to enlarge.) |
The unveiling ceremony featured remarks from Natchez
Mayor Dan Gibson; Vidalia Alderman Robert Gardner, who is working to secure a
historical marker for Vidalia; Holiday Inn Express General Manager Annette
Sharp, who authorized installation of the marker on the hotel’s property; and
retired Army Lt. Col. Glenn R. Powers, speaker for the 11 a.m. ceremony at the
cemetery. Powers serves as deputy under secretary for Field Programs and
Cemetery Operations at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery
Administration.
Dr. Roscoe Barnes III, cultural heritage tourism manager
at Visit Natchez, welcomed attendees. He also recognized Jackson for her many
years of leadership and James Theres, producer of “The 30th of May” film.
Barnes said the idea for the marker originated with Theres.
Gibson praised the participants, noting they have
faithfully marched in the parade for 160 years.
“Today, we honor all who have served our country, and we
honor all who have given their lives,” he said. “It is fitting that today we
reveal this great marker that, now and for many years to come, will tell the
story of the Memorial Day Parade, and it will tell the story of our
faithfulness as a community, black, white, yellow, red, and brown. It doesn’t
matter.”
Over the many decades of its existence, the parade has
grown in size and diversity, Gibson said.
“We are all Americans, and today we all bleed the same
blood, we all pray to the same Father, and we all celebrate a freedom that has
been won for us and earned for us, thanks to our veterans who have served,”
Gibson said.
Gardner, whose mother, Sheila Trust Gardner, chairs the
Vidalia parade committee, reminded the audience of the parade’s beginnings,
saying, “The origin of the parade was to honor our colored servicemen, both
alive and dead. The parade carries with it a heavy burden.”
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Annette Sharp, general manager of the Holiday Inn
Express, authorized the installation of the “The 30th of May Parade” historical
marker on the hotel’s property at 639 S. Canal St. in Natchez. The marker was
unveiled on May 25, 2026. Photo by Roscoe Barnes III (Click on image to enlarge.) |
Sharp, representing the Holiday Inn Express, also
reflected on the meaning of Memorial Day. She said the hotel was honored to be
part of the day’s ceremony.
“When Dr. Roscoe Barnes first contacted me about placing
this marker here, I was so excited. He did not have to ask me twice,” she said.
Sharp highlighted the importance of the occasion:
“Memorial Day is more than just the beginning of summer; it is a day of
remembrance, reflection, and gratitude,” she said. “This marker stands not only
as a record of the past, but as a promise to the future that the stories of
courage, duty, and sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
Powers described the parade as a “fantastic tradition”
for Memorial Day. “This ceremony here and the one at our Natchez National
Cemetery are so important because of this longstanding tradition, which, when
you think about it, is so unique and amazing. Congratulations on the marker!”
he said.
At the cemetery, Charlotte Taylor, assistant director of
the Mississippi National Cemetery Complex at Natchez, told the audience that
Memorial Day is not simply a date on the calendar, but a solemn promise. “It is
a promise that we will remember the fallen, not just in words, but in the way
we live our lives -- with gratitude, with purpose, and with a commitment to the
ideas they fought to protect,” Taylor said.
In his remarks as guest speaker, Powers commented on the
nation’s 250th anniversary of its founding.
“A quarter millennium after the Declaration of
Independence, we pause to reflect on the men and women who safeguarded its
promises across generations,” he said. Although the American Revolution was a
long struggle, “for over 250 years, American patriots have been there to
protect our freedom and our way of life,” he added.
Powers said the fight for freedom never ends, adding, “If
our nation is to survive for another 250 years, we will need the same caliber
of brave service members who have laid everything on the line to keep our
country strong.”
