Praise the dead MT. All we have is built on their bones.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in the USA nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John A. Logan ( I went to collage at J.A.L.C. and SIU ), national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

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



We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.


She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.

__________________

That was quite interesting. My husband and the American Legion Riders motorcycle group he belongs to are participating in the Memorial Day ceremony this morning at the monument on Main Street.
We've had 3 generations that participated in the Navy. God bless them all and their fellow servicepeople.

__________________

coming from a big military family, this is always an important day around here
read the first line of my sig, stand tall and salute our fallen brothers and sisters

__________________

My Grandfather was Navy just like me ( in WWII ). To bad my father is still a Hippie or we might have 3 generations of Navy as well.

Today isn't about pretending to honor people you never knew existed. Most of the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen that have died in service only have a face seen by their family and friends in memory. Not many others know how they looked, what they liked, or what they were. The only thing that will last for most of us to see is their tomestone and our, possible, freedom.

It is so easy to set and say fuck the idiots dumb enough to get themself killed for oil, religion, or politics, ect. Is that what they really were thinking about just before most were killed? If it wasn't for them volunteering then how would the lines be supplied? Would you rather have focused, dedicated, working heros over seas forwarding the ideal of freedom and a way of life or half hearted, lazy, draftmen covering their own asses. I feel much better having someone that wants to be there helping cover me then someone forced to be there.

Today is also about the living wounded ( both visible and invisible wounds ). Their lifes may have been spared but death would have been kinder and had its own dignity. Do not forget to just say hello and thanks if you see them today.

__________________

i know who i'm thinking of on this day

__________________

I guess i'm from a somewhat big military family. Me and my dad are both marines. He retired oh 5 or 6 years ago after 20 years, and now i've been for almost 2 years now. No telling how long i'll be in, but as long as i pick of officer selection and get to fly some 18s i think i'll be in awhile.

Hurray for memorial day!

Now i'm going to work... damn these retail stores...

__________________

My husband said that he and the leader of their bike group are presenting the wreath to the vets. He said if they ask him anything after the ceremony about what he thinks should be done he's tempted to tell them that someone should shoot Cindy Sheehan. Give him the bullet and he'll do it. He said he didn't think it would go over real well.

There was an article in the Legion Magazine about sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. The sheep being civilians just following where we may. The wolves are the preditors and people set out to make life miserable. And the military and other service people are the sheepdogs that risk so much and are so well trained to defend us. Do the sheep really thank the sheepdogs?

__________________

I wouldn't have minded going up to DC for memorial day. I probably could have granted.... i didn't switch with somebody at work.

I live just outside of DC and i STILL have never been. Pisses me the fuck off, but hey i plan on going sometime within the next month with my friend.

__________________

with the risk of sounding overly sappy, theres no real way you can truly thank someone for that

__________________

following in their footsteps is about the only way to start

__________________

Untrue. Not wasting the freedom they've been defending for you is a way to start. Doing the same thing they did might not be the best way of doing that.

thats true too, didnt think of that when I posted

__________________

Agreed. Not giving somebody shit for excersing their rights and freedoms would be a good start.

__________________