New York, NY - Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, joined by the Commandant of Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a member of Ulysses S. Grant’s family, will honor Grant’s 186th birthday on Sunday, April 27 at 11 a.m. at the General Grant National Memorial in New York City. The event, on the final day of National Park Week, honors the man who signed the law creating Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park.
Secretary Kempthorne will deliver remarks, while the Commandant of Cadets will present a wreath on behalf of President Bush. In addition, the United States Military Academy Corps of Cadets Honor Guard will present the colors and conduct a rifle salute.
When: Sunday, April 27, 11 a.m. to noon
Where: General Grant National Memorial, 122nd Street and Riverside, Manhattan
http://www.nps.gov/gegr/planyourvisit/directions.htm. Be advised that on-street parking is limited in the area surrounding the memorial.
Who will attend:
- Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
- Ulysses Grant Dietz, the great-great grandson of General Grant
- Brigadier General Robert L. Caslen, USA, Commandant of Cadets, United States Military Academy
- Adrian Benepe, New York City Commissioner of the Department of Parks & Recreation
- Maria Burks, Commissioner of the National Parks of New York Harbor
Photo Opportunity: At 10:30 a.m., Secretary Kempthorne and New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe will join an NPS Ranger dressed in period attire and children in front of the memorial for a talk on the history of the site.
Web: www.nps.gov/gegr
About General Grant National Monument
This memorial to Ulysses S. Grant, victorious Union commander of the Civil War, includes the tomb of General Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant. Following his death, approximately 90,000 people from around the country and the world donated a total of more than $600,000 towards construction of his tomb, the largest public fundraising effort ever at that time. Designed by architect John Duncan, the granite and marble structure was completed in 1897 and remains the largest mausoleum in North America.