Memorial Day

Today marks the unofficial kickoff of the summer season.  Warmer weather, the opening of pools around the country, the beginning of summer travel and a day that’s marked by outdoor activities and of course the summer-themed retail events.  But there’s a far more significant meaning to the last Monday in May.  Because on Memorial Day, we honor the military personnel who died in service to their country.  Memorial Day traces its roots to the aftermath of the American Civil War, that evolved from local tributes to fallen soldiers to a national day of remembrance.

After the Civil War (1861–1865), which caused more American deaths than any other conflict in our history, communities began holding springtime tributes to honor Union and Confederate soldiers who had died.  These events involved decorating graves with flowers, leading to the early name “Decoration Day.”  And on May 5th , 1868, General John A. Logan, the head of a Union veterans group declared that May 30^th should be set aside to decorate the graves of the war dead, and the first large-scale observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, with speeches and 5,thousands of participants decorating the graves of fallen soldiers.

By the late 1800s, Memorial Day was being observed in nearly every northern state.  And after World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American military personnel who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday by Congress and fixed to the last Monday in May, as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which also gave Americans a three-day weekend.

Soon various organizations began placing flags on military graves; and in 2000, a tradition of having a National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. local time was established.  And today, we see tributes and acts of gratitude for those who gave their lives .

In years past I’ve received emails and thoughtful comments from friends and family thanking me for my service, and while it’s appreciated, it’s not what today is about.  Today we honor military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice—those who were killed in action or died from service-related causes.  So, the phrase “Thank you for your service,” while valued, should be saved for Veterans Day because the difference between the two national holidays lies in who is honored and how they are observed.  I’ve long felt the ‘tone’ of Memorial Day should be one of reflectiveness with the placing of flags on the graves of the fallen, and memorial services.

In contrast, on Veterans Day (November 11^th) we honor all U.S. military veterans, living or deceased who served honorably regardless of whether they saw combat or survived.  And on that day the tone should be one of respect and gratitude and more celebratory than Memorial Day, and of course, accompanied by parades and recognition ceremonies.

A good way to think of the two days is, that on Memorial Day we mourn and honor the dead; while on Veterans Day, we thank the living.   I’ll close this post on a very personal level – today I will say a prayer and wish to honor those who gave their last full measure in Vietnam.   And to KK, Al, and Sgt Kalka, I salute you.

Quote of the Day: “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.” – Anonymous