| Friday, May 26, 2006 |
| In the Company of Soldiers |
 "To those who serve and those who sacrifice, to those who weep and those who wait, because our nation is at war. Support our troops and their families. Honor our Veterans."
From a wonderful blog writer who honors our soldiers here's a recent post regarding Memorial Day:
"Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend filled with cookouts and Memorial Day sales. While to some it may the official start of summer, to others, especially the nation's thousands of combat veterans, this day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, it is a solemn reminder of those who gave the last full measure of devotion in the service of their country.
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:
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. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.
Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually. "
Thank you for another wonderful Memorial Day Blog! -Mix |
posted by Margaret @ 9:57 PM   |
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