Posted May 25th, 2015
By Kris Powers
Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May and originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it also marks the beginning of summer.
Decoration Day
On May 5, 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971.
Red Poppies
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 came up with the 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 and donated the money to benefit servicemen in need. 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. In1948 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.
National Moment of Remembrance
The “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that on Memorial Day, 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.”
Final Thoughts
In a recent CNN commentary about Memorial Day, Retired Army Staff Sgt. Luke Murphy lamented that many American’s seem to have lost sight of the real reason for Memorial Day celebration. He commented, “If they [non-family members and non-veterans] really wanted to show respect for veterans, and the price they paid, they'd attend a service to hear somebody speak. If they felt moved, maybe they'd go to a website like Homes for Our Troops and make a donation. Or find a nonprofit that takes care of the fallen service members' families, like Gold Star organizations.” He also commented, "Memorial Day is supposed to remind Americans what other people have sacrificed for them."
Let's make sure that we remember - this Memorial Day and every day.
Sources and additional information:
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Luke Murphy served two tours with the 101st Airborne Division's 187th Infantry Regiment. He was catastrophically wounded in 2006, when a roadside bomb blast resulted in the amputation of his right leg. He is the author of "Blasted by Adversity: the Making of a Wounded Warrior." Find him at LukeMurphy101.com.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/?page_id=2
http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history