[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 79 (Tuesday, May 15, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3937]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IRONTON-LAWRENCE COUNTY MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Johnson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Nation's oldest, continuously running Memorial Day parade, the Ironton-
Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade.
  In 1868, the Grand Army of the Republic established May 30 as 
Decoration Day, later changed to Memorial Day, to commemorate soldiers 
who died during the Civil War. It was in 1868 that Ironton held their 
first parade, and 2018 marks 150 straight years of honoring America's 
fallen heroes.
  Ironton and Lawrence County have a long association with America's 
military. Lawrence County was named for James Lawrence, a naval hero 
who commanded the USS Chesapeake. It was Lawrence's dying command 
during a naval conflict against the British that is still remembered 
today: ``Don't give up the ship.''
  The 40 members of the parade committee work year round to organize 
the event, which has 12 separate divisions and draws tens of thousands 
of visitors annually. I commend the committee and the people of 
Lawrence County for their steadfast commitment to remembering and 
honoring American heroes over the last 150 years.

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