Under a blazing sun on Saturday, May 30, 1931, President Herbert Hoover spoke before a crowd of 20,000 men, women and children assembled on the grassy tiers of a natural amphitheater in Valley Forge Park near Washington Memorial Chapel.
Few people knew that the Rev. Dr. W. Herbert Burk, president of the Valley Forge Historical Society and rector of the Washington Memorial Chapel at the historic camp ground, had sent a letter to historical society members expressing regret that the society was not to be host of President Hoover on that Memorial Day.
The letter stated that although President Hoover sent for him in July of the previous year to talk over plans for his visit, the Valley Forge park commission found some way to have it act as host in spite of the fact that the President was an honorary perpetual benefactor of the Valley Forge Historical Society. President Hoover was supposed to received his gold insignia on Memorial Day.
If you want to read more about Hoover’s Memorial Day speech, visit our post from last year’s Memorial weekend Friday Fact.
