Memorial Day ~ My Tribute to our Heroic Men and Women

The men and women remembered this Memorial Day were real people–sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands. They were strong and vibrant. They loved and were loved. And they are missed. That has been the premise of this solemn day of remembrance since its inception 145 years ago. The meaning has not changed, but a generation shift began, the significance of Memorial Day has grown tremendously in the past 10 years.

Contrary to popular belief, Memorial Day is much more than a day off work, advertised retail sales, swimming pool openings and the “initiation” of wearing white.   With so much chaos it’s easy to forget the true reason for Memorial Day:  remembering those who have fallen while fighting for our country.

Memorial Day, originally known as Declaration Day, was first celebrated on May 30, 1868 in honor of Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War.  National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic General John Logan first observed the holiday by placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

By 1890 most northern states officially recognized Memorial Day; however, southern states refused to celebrate the national holiday, choosing to honor fallen Confederate soldiers on a different day.  The south did not celebrate Memorial Day until after World War I when the holiday was dedicated to honoring American soldiers who died in any war.

To this day, a few southern states, including Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana and Tennessee still dedicate a specific day to honoring Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. A number of Memorial Day traditions honor the hard work and dedication of American soldiers who have past. Over the last 60 years, soldiers of the 3^rd U.S. Infantry place American flags beside the 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery the Thursday before Memorial Day and patrol the cemetery 24 hours a day throughout the holiday weekend.

Since 1998, the Boy and Girl Scouts have distributed a candle at the gravestones of the 15,000 soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

In 2004, Washington DC celebrated its first annual Memorial Day parade since 1944. The “National Movement of Remembrance” resolution was passed in December of 2000 to remind Americans of the reason we celebrate Memorial Day.  The resolution requests that all Americans “voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect,” for all fallen soldiers at 3:00 p.m. on the last Monday of May.

In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

So instead of being a bystander at Arlington, I visited specific new graves that include our recent Fallen from recent war in Middle East. “When you look at all these gravesites throughout history, you see what everyone has done for freedom …………….. I do it to thank the veterans for what it has meant in my lifetime and to emphasize how important it is to get out and take time to remember, reflect and honor those who courageously gave up their lives for our freedom, we THANK YOU.