All Gave Some, Some Gave All

Before we load the kids in the back of the SUV and head off to the beach, before we fire up the grill, and before we climb into our bass boat, let’s take a moment to remember why Americans celebrate this day.

 Sure, it’s a day off for most of us. Of course it unofficially kicks off the summer in a manner of speaking. What memorial Day is, and will always be, is a tribute to the men and women who have served our nation. More from Metro News about the origins of this holiday…

 There are many stories about the beginning of Memorial Day, which Americans observe today.  The day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service was originally called Decoration Day and was officially proclaimed on May 5th, 1868, by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.  The first ceremony was in 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  At first, the South refused to acknowledge the day, choosing to honor their dead on separate days.  After World War One, the holiday changed to honor Americans who died fighting in any war.  It is now celebrated in every state on the last Monday in May.

Several towns lay claim to being the first to celebrate Memorial Day.  In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson officially declared that Waterloo, New York, was the birthplace of Memorial Day.  In 1915, poet Moina Michael, inspired by the Poem “In Flanders Fields,” started the practice of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation in war.  Since the 1950s, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division place small American Flags at each of the more than 260-thousand gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery.  They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. 

Many Americans have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day.  Years ago, Congress passed the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution that asks all Americans to voluntarily and informally observe a moment of silence on Memorial Day at 3 p.m. local time.