A day of remembrance
May is coming to an end and that brings us to a day of remembrance for our military that sacrificed their lives serving our country - Memorial Day. Originally it was called Decoration Day and was celebrated on May 30. However, that changed in 1971 when Congress officially decided that Memorial Day would be celebrated on the last Monday in May. On this federal holiday we take time to honor, mourn, and remember those who have died while serving in the United States armed forces.
Memorial Day originated after the Civil War when there was a widespread eagerness to honor the men that had died in service. Known then as Decoration Day, it was a day where people would gather to decorate the graves of men and pay their respects who had died in defense of the United States. To this day, we honor those who died in service in similar ways. In 2000 Congress passed the “National Moment of Remembrance” which asks all Americans to observe a moment of silence in remembrance and respect of those men and women who died while serving in our military at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.
Some may show their respect by wearing a red poppy flower as a symbol for those who served. The tradition of wearing a red poppy was inspired by a 1915 poem entitled, “In Flanders Fields” by Moina Michael. It reads, “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.” Moina Michael was the first one to wear and sell red poppies to be worn on Memorial Day. Most importantly, the money she made from selling the flowers went to benefit servicemen in need. Nowadays, many veterans organizations sell poppies on Memorial Day nationwide. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) started the “Buddy” poppy program which gives disabled veterans the opportunity to assemble the flower pendants in return for compensation. The Buddy Program also provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation programs.
I can remember how my family would plan a gathering on Memorial Day to remember those who served in the United States. My father served in the Korean War as member of Navy and it was imperative for him to instill the importance of Memorial Day in our lives. Every year my father would ask me to get the American Flag out of the hall closet and carry it out on the pier to hang it on the flag pole so that it could fly high in memory of those who died at war. Every year I watched that flag fly over shimmering waters, I was reminded that the freedom I have to gather with my family came with a heavy price. It continues to remind me to be thankful, humble, and proud of my country and those that served and continue to serve it. Pete Hegseth, a former executive director of the political advocacy groups Vets For Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America put it best when he said, “Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring Veterans, it’s about honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that’s a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it.”
Be safe and have fun with your family and friends on Memorial Day, but above all find a way to take a voluntary moment of silence for those who have died fighting for our freedom. Look back in reverence of those who served and be reminded of the great sacrifice that they made for us to have the freedoms that we do have in this great country.