Episode Details

Memorial Day is Monday — and this morning we heard from two guests who reflect what the weekend is really about. Gerald Wright, Korean War veteran and organizer of Galesburg's Memorial Day Parade, and Dennis Clark, the songwriter behind "Soldier Welcome Home," joined Galesburg's Morning News on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Listen to the full interview above. Topics covered in this interview: Parade details — 10 a.m. Monday, May 25, corner of Chambers and Main Street, approximately 40 participants. Parade proceeds down Main Street, turning on to Cherry Street and ending with a ceremony at the Knox County Courthouse Grand Marshal State Rep. Daniel Swanson — more than 20 years of military service including active duty in Iraq The courthouse ceremony following the parade — including the reading of names of fallen soldiers from the past year Gerald Wright's Korean War service — Army aviation ground crew, observation flights over the DMZ What Memorial Day means to a veteran who served and came home Dennis Clark on writing "Soldier Welcome Home" in 2006 for a Choral Dynamics tribute show The personal inspiration behind the song — his father at the Battle of the Bulge, his brother's difficult homecoming from Vietnam The new music video — featuring the Bobby Dunlap statue in Monmouth, a veteran memorial mural by his late brother Michael, and a local Galesburg family Where to find the video and how contributions support a Veterans Fund   Galesburg's Memorial Day Parade steps off Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. at the corner of Chambers and Main Street. Groups and individuals are still welcome to join — arrive by 9:30 a.m. A courthouse ceremony follows the parade. Find "Soldier Welcome Home" by Dennis Clark on YouTube and all streaming platforms. Click here to watch the video. Related: Galesburg's Memorial Day Parade returns Monday — and a local songwriter has a tribute for the weekend [caption id="attachment_700469" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Dennis Clark, left, and Gerald Wright visited the WGIL studios on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, ahead of Galesburg's Memorial Day weekend. (WGIL)[/caption]