National Memorial Day Concert 20th Anniversary

PBS stations across the country will again broadcast the National Memorial Day Concert, live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Gary Sinise (CSI: NY) and Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) return to co-host the event for the third consecutive year. The concert airs Sunday, May 24 from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM ET, with a taped encore presentation in many cities from 9:30-11:00 PM ET. Check local listings for broadcast times on your PBS station.

"This year’s event will look back and reflect on some of the most powerful moments from the past two decades, in which these performers contributed their immense talents to help viewers remember and pay tribute to all those who served in America’s wars."

It may be the concert's 20th anniversary, but 2009 marks a more significant one: the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. During his presidency, Lincoln considered it a duty to "...to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan..." It was during the Civil War that the loved ones of the fallen soldiers and sailors of both sides began planting flowers as tributes to their lives and military service. So, it is fitting that excerpts from letters written by President Lincoln will be read during the concert. To this day, more American lives were lost during the Civil War than any other conflict since. More than 620,000 soldiers and sailors died defending their beliefs.

PBS also states that, "The concert will honor the sacrifices, suffering and love of the thousands of family members caring for our severely wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. These disabled warriors have become our living memorials, a visible reminder of those who sacrificed so much for the principles we stand for whose families take care of them and will continue to sacrifice for them for the rest of their lives."

"Joining co-hosts Sinise and Mantegna is an all-star line-up of dignitaries, actors and musical artists including distinguished American leader Colin L. Powell; renowned film, television and stage actress Katie Holmes; Emmy Award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne; double Academy Award-winning actress Dianne Wiest; recording artist and actress Katharine McPhee; country music superstar Trace Adkins; Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell; celebrated Broadway star Colm Wilkinson (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera); acclaimed opera star Denyce Graves; classical music superstar Lang Lang, named one of the 2009 TIME 100 (Time magazine); and Grammy-nominated violin virtuoso Robert McDuffie in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Erich Kunzel, recipient of the National Medal of Arts. The U.S Joint Chiefs of Staff also will participate in the event, along with the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, U.S. Army Chorus, U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, Soldiers Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, U.S. Navy Sea Chanters, and the Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Color Teams provided by the Military District of Washington, DC."

PBS's has again launched the concert's companion website at www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert. You can explore the viewer's guide and a special page where veterans and family members can pay tribute to their friends and loved ones. These eulogies will be delivered to the appropriate national memorial in the nation's capitol.

Source: PBS Press materials.