MEMORIAL DAY

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As Memorial Day approaches, I just felt the need to post this. For so many years, I feel the true meaning of the day has been swept totally under the rug, so to speak.

The focus is always on cook-outs, parties, celebrating whatever & all those GLARING Memorial Day Sales! (which have no connection to the day whatsoever!) Not giving much, if any, actual thought to what this day should mean to us.

I`m not saying we shouldn`t enjoy getting together with family & friends..I just hope that we ALL take the time to actually remember what the day should mean to us.

We can 'celebrate' birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, but let`s not 'celebrate' Memorial Day as just another day to 'party'.

"Memorial Day is a solemn federal holiday dedicated to mourning and honoring the military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is a time of reflection to remember the ultimate sacrifices made to protect the country's ideals.

Understanding this historic holiday comes down to a few key aspects:

1. Memorial Day vs. Veterans Day

It is common to confuse these two holidays, but they serve entirely different purposes: [1, 2]

Memorial Day: Honors and mourns only the service members who have died in the line of duty.
Veterans Day: Celebrates and thanks all living and past U.S. military veterans for their service, regardless of how or where they served.

2. Origins as "Decoration Day"

The holiday was originally known as Decoration Day. It emerged in the years following the American Civil War—a conflict that claimed over 600,000 lives. Devastated communities across the country began holding springtime tributes to fallen soldiers, decorating their gravesites with flowers, wreaths, and flags. [1, 2]

The first widespread national observance took place on May 30, 1868, which was proclaimed by Major General John A. Logan to honor Union soldiers. Following the World Wars, the observance was expanded to honor all American military personnel who died in any conflict. Congress officially made it a federal holiday on the last Monday in May in 1971.

3. Symbols of Remembrance

The Red Poppy: This symbol of remembrance is inspired by the famous 1915 World War I poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, which references the bright red flowers growing over the graves of fallen soldiers.
Flag Placement: Volunteers, often including the families of fallen soldiers and veteran organizations, place American flags on the graves of military personnel in national cemeteries across the country.

4. How It Is Observed

Because the holiday is about honoring the fallen, many do not say "Happy Memorial Day," as it is not a celebratory day in the same vein as Christmas or the Fourth of July.

Instead, the day is marked by quiet reflection, visiting war memorials and cemeteries, and attending local parades. The U.S. government also observes the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause for a moment of silence at 3:00 p.m. local time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifices made by military heroes.

You can explore more about the history of the holiday through the National Archives Memorial Day Resources or learn about the original 1868 proclamation at the National Cemetery Administration. "

1940fc

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Posted 4 months ago·Last reply 4 months ago

6 comments

roccotacodad54

·4 months ago

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Yes people forget. I read somewhere where the federal government sent a reminder to the individual states to remember to fly flags a half staff...............................

evelyb30

·4 months ago

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I have a poppy shirt in red, white and blue. I've worn it to church before on Memorial Day weekend. (was out walking wounded this time) People don't know what they mean.

glenvonnie

·4 months ago

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I enlisted when I was 17 , volunteered to go to Vietnam, went twice in six years, 1968 the first time, a Black year, also on the East German border.

There came a time when we no longer cared, took ridiculous risks because we were all going to die anyway and this was my life and job now.

And I thought about what I was getting out of this and why I was doing it.

We were doing it because we didn't want our families, children and grandchildren to have to do it, we wanted our families and everyone else to be safe from the evils we were confronting, we wanted them to have safe and happy lives without fear of the dangers we thought we were better able to deal with.

So, I'm happy to see them celebrating, that's what it was about and why we did it.

I also remember standing by the South China Sea South of DaNang looking at the mountains to the North and knew we could cross them and be in Hanoi in three weeks and end it all, and I knew we weren't going to do that, but I hoped what we were doing would persuade others not to try the same thing again.

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." JFK 1963

We took that seriously too.

dream*peddler

·4 months ago

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Thank you for your service 💗

bat197

·4 months ago

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Thank you for your service

dream*peddler

·4 months ago

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Excellent post, Sarah. Thanks for the reminder that this is a day of reflection and gratitude for those who gave all.