Washington Crossing Historic Park will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday, May 25 at 1 PM at the gravesite of Continental soldiers located near the Thompson-Neely House. The observation will include a colonial color guard, fife and drum music, Revolutionary War reenactors, veterans, and other honored guests.

Our narrator this year will be Col. Jeffrey R. McGeary, Chief of Military Programs at the US Army Center of Military History, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. Col. McGeary is a life-long Bucks County native, and a resident of Doylestown. A graduate of Council Rock High School, Col. McGeary began his Army service as a cadet at Valley Forge Military Academy & College, where he served as Class President and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. Col. McGeary received his BA from West Chester University and MBA from LaSalle University. During his years of service, he deployed to Germany, Kuwait and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, and his past awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, NATO Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. COL McGeary currently serves as the Chief of Military Programs for the U.S. Army Center of Military History. He is an Eagle Scout and a proud husband and father.

We are also honored to welcome Major Spencer G. Garrison as our Master of Ceremonies. With over 16 years in the Army, including 13 as a public affairs officer, Major Garrison has represented the U.S. military on both national and international stages. He has commanded a public affairs detachment, served on staff at the corps and brigade levels, and deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere around the world. He currently serves as Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—a major command of more than 35,000 personnel supporting the engineering needs of our nation and military. A 2009 graduate of West Point, he earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2019. A Yardley native, Spencer enjoys running, photography, and spending time with his family. Since 2018, he has proudly served as an oarsman, alongside his father, during the annual reenactment of Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware.

After the dedication, American flags will be placed on the graves. The gravesite marks the resting place of soldiers who died during the Continental army’s December 1776 encampment in Bucks County. Although no Americans were killed during the Delaware River crossing and the First Battle of Trenton, some soldiers succumbed to exposure, disease or previous injuries. Captain-Lieutenant Moore is the only veteran buried in this plot whose identity is known.