What we now know as Memorial Day was first recognized in 1868 when on May 5th, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, General John Logan, declared May 30th as “Decoration Day”, a day Americans were encouraged to “decorate” the graves of the estimated 625,000 on both the North and the South who died during the Civil War, which had ended just three years earlier. Although intended to be a “national” holiday, for understandable reasons, the holiday was generally ignored in Southern States. In 1919, after World War I, Congress changed the name of the holiday, still celebrated on May 30th, to “Memorial Day”, a day set aside to remember the sacrifices of ALL US combatants who had died in any conflict. In 1971, Congress changed several holidays to be on a Monday, and since that time, Memorial Day has been celebrated on the 4th Monday in May. Over time, we have tended to forget the true meaning of the holiday, and have come to regard Memorial Day as the “end of the school year” and the “beginning of summer vacation season”. To help re-educate and remind Americans of the solemn purpose of the occasion, in 2000, Congress declared a “National Moment of Remembrance”, asking everyone, on a voluntary basis, to stop whatever they are doing at 3:00 pm on Memorial Day, to pay tribute to the more than 1.3 million US soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marine, and Coast Guardsmen who have given their lives to guarantee the freedoms that we are so blessed to enjoy in this great country. We ask each of you to set your watch or cell phone alarm for 3:00 pm on Monday and take time to do just that. We would also ask that, at that time, you remember too the many first responders (police, fire, and EMT patriots) who also have sacrificed so much for us. Have a happy and safer Memorial Day!
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 19:15:44 +0000
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