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Commemoration held in Gettysburg for Lincoln's 1863 speech

Xinhua, November 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

A host of events were held in Gettysburg in the state of Pennsylvania on Saturday to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and to remember the soldiers who fought and died in Gettysburg during the U.S. Civil War.

The date was the coincidence of two commemorations, Dedication Day and Remembrance Day. The former marked Lincoln's Gettysburg Address when he dedicated Soldiers' National Cemetery here in Nov. 19, 1863, and the latter was a day devoted to remembering the soldiers who fought and died in Gettysburg during the Civil War, which was held annually on the Saturday c­losest to Dedication Day. This year the two dates fell on the same day.

The events included a wreath laying ceremony, a keynote address given by actor LeVar Burton, a recitation of the Gettysburg Address by a Lincoln portrayer, and the annual Remembrance Day Parade.

Thousands of revelers, historical reenactment hobbyists came from all over the country to watch and participate in Tuesday' s parade. Formations of hobbyists dressed in Union and Confederate soldiers' uniforms, as well as civilian costumes in the same time period, marched from downtown to the Gettysburg National Military Park.

"I've come to march in the parade for 20 years," said Sid Gadney from Maryland, who dressed in a blue Union soldier uniform.

"I've always loved American history, and this is the most interesting time period," Gadney added.

The commemoration come just after an presidential election that many saw as the most ugly and divisive in the U.S. history, and many of those who come to Gettysburg felt that Lincoln's words still needs to be heeded by a more polarized society now.

"When President Lincoln stood here 153 years ago today, our nation was as it is now in turmoil," said Burton in his keynote speech.

"He was faced with an America not dissimilar from our own, an America railing from effects of a very costly conflict," Burton added.

"Burton compared the turmoil in the elections with the civil war, I thought that was very appropriate," said Reenactment hobbyist Daniel Sheron.

"The country has always been divided, and Lincoln's words is still very important for today's situation," said Sheron. Enditem