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PBS and an All-Star Cast Present the 34th Annual National Memorial Day Concert, Live From the U.S. Capitol

  • Christina Zeiders
The father, son, and mother of Sgt. Anthony Magee; Tony Davis, Kameron Johnson, and Patricia Magee Davis.

 Capital Concerts

The father, son, and mother of Sgt. Anthony Magee; Tony Davis, Kameron Johnson, and Patricia Magee Davis.

The National Memorial Day Concert, America’s national night of remembrance, returns live from the U.S. Capitol. This special night is hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise, two acclaimed actors who are dedicated to veterans’ causes and supporting our troops in active service.

This 90-minute broadcast honors the service and sacrifice of U.S. service men and women, military families, and all those who have given their lives for our country. It reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday through personal stories and tributes interwoven with musical performances.

Watch the National Memorial Day Concert live on WITF TV, online, or through the WITF or PBS app on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8 pm or the replay at 9:30pm.

“We are proud to continue this national tradition on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol that brings us together as one family of Americans to support our heroes and remember the more than one million Americans who have given their lives for our country since the dawn of the republic,” said Executive Producer Michael Colbert, Capital Concerts.

The 2023 National Memorial Day Concert will pay tribute to Gold Star families with Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG-Award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson, SAG Award-winning and Emmy nominated actor Dulé Hill and acclaimed actor and singer Chosen Jacobs.

Watch the National Memorial Day Concert live on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8 pm on WITF TV, online, or through the WITF or PBS app. You can also catch a replay at 9:30pm the same night.

The program will share the story of three generations of one Gold Start family and their journey through grief when their beloved oldest child, Sgt. Anthony O. Magee is killed in action while deployed in Iraq.

SAG Award-winning and Emmy-nominated actor and director John Slattery and Tony Award-nominated Mary McCormack will honor American POWs of the Vietnam War. The tribute will feature POWs who endured, resisted, and remained unified in the face of captivity, and will remember the more than 58,000 American lives lost in the Vietnam War and those who remain missing.

We’ll hear the story of Col. Carlyle “Smitty” Harris (Ret.) who was imprisoned by the North Vietnamese for eight years while his wife Louise stayed strong on the home front.

Watch the National Memorial Day Concert live on WITF TV, online, or through the WITF or PBS app on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8 pm. You can watch a replay at 9:30pm on the same night.

On the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, the concert will remember the more than 36,000 American lives lost and pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of those who fought to defend freedom and bring peace. Heartbreak Ridge, Pork Chop Hill, Outpost Harry, and Chosin Reservoir are just a few of the battles etched in the memory of those who survived this brutal conflict.

Broadway and TV star Megan Hilty helps to honor and remember the over 16 million Americans who served in uniform during World War II – including the more than 400,000 who died and the hundreds of thousands who were wounded. Veterans will tell their stories through their own reflections, and we’ll witness a tribute to the contributions of the Merchant Marines.

This reverential night features performances by multi-platinum entertainer and actor Trace Adkins; the husband-and-wife duo, Iraq War Army veteran Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tonya Trotter, The War And Treaty; five-time Grammy Award-winning Gospel legend Yolanda Adams; Grammy Award-nominated and CMA and ACM Award-winning country music star Jo Dee Messina; multi-platinum singer-songwriter Phillip Phillips; and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jack Everly.

Don’t miss the National Memorial Day Concert on Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 8pm on WITF TV, online, or through the WITF or PBS app. The Concert will also be broadcast to U.S. troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The concert will be available to stream on-demand through June 11, 2023.

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