A Brief History of Memorial Day
May 30, 2011 No Comments
Today, May 30, 1868, was the first wide observation of Memorial Day but why? So summer could start? So we could have a barbeque and go on vacation?
My grandmother used to call it by its original name – Decoration Day, because that’s the day you decorate the graves of family members who have passed. As a kid, I used to think it was called that because we decorated our house by flying the flag.
Memorial Day started to observe the fallen from the Civil War. It began in several places, both in the North and South, including New York, Mississippi, Virginia, Illinois and Pennsylvania, before it became widespread.
Major General John A. Logan issued a proclamation that this day would honor the dead and eventually, became the day to remember anyone fallen in any American war.
In a tradition called “Flags-In” the 3rd U.S. Infantry (the soldiers who guard Arlington 24/7) puts small flags on each one of the 250,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery on the Thursday before Memorial Day. They then patrol the entire cemetery for the whole weekend to make sure all the flags stay put.
Here Rests In
Honored Glory
An American
Soldier
Known But To God
Watching the changing of the guard at the tomb is a sobering sight and one of the most memorable from when I visited there as a goofy 8th grader, years ago.
“The sight before us is that of a strong and good nation that stands in silence and remembers those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them,” President Ronald Reagan said during his speech there in 1982.
Interestingly, there are tombs for the unidentified soldiers of World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. However, according to page 190 of The American Patriot’s Almanac by William Bennett and John T.E. Cribb, all the remains of the soldiers from Vietnam have been identified from DNA testing done in 1998 and is now empty.
Flags are supposed to fly at half-staff from morning until noon today and at 3:00 local time, everyone is asked to pause and take a moment for remembrance.
“Many of (our) soldiers will spend this Memorial Day in the mountains of Afghanistan or in the deserts of Iraq and Libya far from their families and friends. Their sacrifice and courage should remind us of our commitment to support them not just today.
The freedoms we enjoy are paid for by those we honor, both the fallen and those still fighting. Our nation is truly thankful,” Edwin J. Feulner, president of The Heritage Foundation wrote in the Morning Bell update this morning. Here is the link to The Heritage Foundation’s podcast about the history of Memorial Day.
Culture, Holiday
