Memorial Day: A Historical Look at the Day with a Personal Message

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our 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. The last, and ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1869 by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 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 1. This was 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 in Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal Holidays), though several southern states have a separate day that they continue to honor the Confederate war dead.

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 of 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 postage stamp with her likeness on it.

There are a few notable exceptions to the poppy tradition. 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 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredricksburg and Spotsylvanial National Military Park on Marye's Heights. 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 in Dec 2000, which asks that at 3 pm 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 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 a three-day weekend has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

I would like to thank my FRO for sending the above message to me as part of our command's efforts to keep families informed. I wished to share all of this interesting information with all of our readers. I don't know about any of you, buy I personally have lost family members in past wars and this day celebrates their sacrifices. I only hope that someone in California is kind enough to place flags, candles, or flowers at my own grandfather's grave in the Riverside National Cemetery, as I obviously cannot; living on the other side of the country makes that a little difficult. On Monday, if you live in my neighborhood, you will probably see me in the small cemetery across the road trying to locate the Civil War soldier buried there in order to place a token of my appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice.

So, with that little history lesson, you are slightly more knowledgeable about Memorial Day. Honor our servicemen and women who have given their all to our great country! Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day!