What is Memorial Day?

by Almon C. Hemore
Disabled American Veteran
    Memorial Day — it is a time to honor our fallen war heroes, a time to honor the loved ones that have passed on, a time for quiet prayers of thanks for the battles fought for our freedom. Whatever the reason, Memorial Day is a time of remembrance shared by our entire nation. Before Memorial Day was dedicated as a national holiday, women and men of the southern states not only placed flowers on the graves of Confederate soldiers, but on the Union soldiers as well. This was due to the fact that most battles between the North and the South had taken place on southern soil. This action was viewed as a movement toward reconciliation that quickly spread across the nation. General John A. Logan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1868, issued a declaration for the observance ceremony to take place on May 30, 1868. The order issued to all Grand Army posts stated: “The thirtieth day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of our country … It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades.”
    The first national Memorial Day, observed May 30, 1868, was widely received with more than 100 exercises performed across the nation and quickly multiplied in the years following. In 1869, more than 300 exercises marked the day and in 1873, New York became the first state to observe May 30th as a legal holiday. By 1890, it was a legal holiday in all of the northern states.
    In order to make Memorial Day a national holiday, which would provide Americans with a three-day weekend, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation on June 28, 1968, stating that Memorial Day would be observed on the last Monday of May each year. Memorial Day has always been an observance of our fallen heroes, except for a brief period during the late 1960’s and the early 1970’s. A time of protest, peace and love for our country, many perceived Memorial Day as a time to express anti-war sentiments.
    Memorial Day has become a time of leisure across our nation. A time for picnics, family reunions, weekend camping trips and many other social activities. As members of Veterans’ organizations and auxiliaries, we must always continue to preserve the memory of our fallen soldiers, POW/MIA, and to assist our many veterans in the VA hospitals. Memorial Day is a special day our country has put aside to show respect to all of our military personnel, living and deceased. Let’s not lose our perspective and help others to gain a renewed patriotic spirit. May God bless you all.