Astoria - Memorial Day Oregon

ASTORIA: Maritime Memorial Park Ceremony

3:00pm

Maritime Memorial Park
10 Bay Street
Astoria, OR 97103

Program Details | Directions

The annual Memorial Day event in Astoria occurs at Maritime Memorial Park located directly under the Astoria/Megler bridge. Access to the park is from Bay St, Columbia Ave. and the Astoria Riverwalk.

Memorial Day ceremony in Astoria — The park honors *1,200 beloved Astorians* *from the* maritime industry or with other close connections to *the river or the ocean*, who have been lost over the years and *whose names are memorialized on the wall*. The annual Memorial Day service at the park honors all in the U.S. military who gave their lives in war, but is also maritime-themed. All names on the memorial wall are read in alphabetical order. You’ll find free coffee and cookies to keep you warm.

Family and friends bring flowers to toss into the river when their loved ones names are called.

Views from Astoria’s Past

Few places in Oregon are more historic and militarily significant than Astoria. Here are two glimpses of the city long ago, when Memorial Day was still “Decoration Day”

Astorians gather for their annual Decoration Day parade, May 30, 1944. During World War II Astoria was a military hub vital to the defense of the Pacific Northwest. Thus, U.S. Coast Guard and Navy service members, stationed at Tongue Point Naval Air Station, and U.S. Army troops from Astoria’s coastal artillery defenses, all marched. American Legion members from WWI also participated. Clatsop County Heritage Museum photo.

The American garrison flag (20′ x 38′) flies at half staff just south of the administration building at Fort Stevens, Astoria on Decoration Day 1913. Note the new flagpole built the previous year to replace the original wooden one.

5 Comments

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Scott McMullen

2 years ago

The 2024 Astoria Memorial Service will be held in person on May 27th, at 3:00 pm at the Astoria Maritime Memorial Park, on the Astoria Riverwalk under the Astoria/Megler Bridge.

Peg Lyon

4 years ago

Thank you for your reply. Your website is still unclear whether the 2022 Memorial Day celebration is happening in person on May 30. It is only a month away and those of us from out of town need to make travel arrangements if the ceremony is truly scheduled. Will the Oregon COVID restrictions allow an in person ceremony this year? Peg

From the Editor

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Reply to Peg Lyon

4 years ago

Hi Peg. Thanks for your email. The page has been updated now that we know 100% that the event is taking place in person on May 30. Here are two links with the City of Astoria’s official confirmation: https://members.oldoregon.com/events/details/memorial-day-celebration-30796?calendarMonth=2022-05-01 and https://www.astoriaparks.com/Parks/Event_Detail.aspx?id=265

Peg Lyon

4 years ago

Now that many Covid restrictions are being lifted, is it possible that the Memorial Day installation ceremony at the Maritime Memorial Park in Astoria might be rescheduled in person?

From the Editor

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Reply to Peg Lyon

4 years ago

Hi Peg. Thanks so much for your post. Great question. I know so many Memorial Day ceremony organizers around the state are anxious to hold an in-person event again. It really has been such a loss for almost all local areas to not have their normal way for people to gather together on Memorial Day. I am just starting to reach out to the various organizers across the state on where they are at in planning. I’ll be updating all the pages on this site in the coming weeks, well ahead of May 30th, with a specific note as to whether COVID will affect each locale’s 2022 event. I will also let you know (with another post here) about Astoria as soon as I find out.

Thanks again and take care!