jonsidneyb
Member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2006
- Messages
- 343
A holiday called Decoration Day preceded Memorial Day. Decoration day was started on May 5, 1868 by a group of Union veterans: the Grand Army of the Republic. Also, it's interesting that Decoration Day was announced on May 5. That day is now celebrated as Cinco de Mayo, the date when Mexican forces defeated the French at Puebla in 1862 shortened the Civil War, meaning that thousands fewer soldiers lay in cemeteries to be memorialized. Why did that mean fewer deaths in the Civil War? What many do not realize is that had the French defeated Mexico Napoleon III would have likely entered the US Civil War greatly extending its duration.
Maj. Gen. John Logan changed the celebration of Decoration Day to May 30 because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. There were already many local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead in some cities. One of the first was on April 25, 1866 in Columbus, Mississippi. A group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers lost at battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves as well. Eventually Decoration Day became Memorial Day and was moved to the last Monday in May.
Roosevelt mentioned as the"Four Freedoms: freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom from want, freedom from fear."
Today we should remember that 25% of the of the homeless in the U.S. are veterans. I have been told by some that reading and trying to learn what soldiers did and fought for is glorifying war. I do not agree with that. I think it is very important to remember the sacrafices that have been made by those in service. It seems sad to me that these people can be easily forgotten by so many.
On memorial day please at least take sometime to remember what so many people gave up and struggled for. Many that did come back from service never really made it all of the way back. This is going to sound very cynical of me but if we can't at least take the time to remember...Why should anyone give up so much just to be forgotten and unappreciated.
It seems that it was not that long ago there were still veterans from WW2 that had not been able to leave a VA hospital since being returned home. There are veterans from Korea and Vietnam that only see the inside of the same building every single day. Added to this there will those who served in the Middle East. These people need to be remembered as well and if possible, find a way to do something for these people as their world has become very limited due to their injuries.
Memorial day is not just about picnics and auto racing. It is about something much more important than that.
Lets Never Forget.
Maj. Gen. John Logan changed the celebration of Decoration Day to May 30 because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. There were already many local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead in some cities. One of the first was on April 25, 1866 in Columbus, Mississippi. A group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers lost at battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves as well. Eventually Decoration Day became Memorial Day and was moved to the last Monday in May.
Roosevelt mentioned as the"Four Freedoms: freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom from want, freedom from fear."
Today we should remember that 25% of the of the homeless in the U.S. are veterans. I have been told by some that reading and trying to learn what soldiers did and fought for is glorifying war. I do not agree with that. I think it is very important to remember the sacrafices that have been made by those in service. It seems sad to me that these people can be easily forgotten by so many.
On memorial day please at least take sometime to remember what so many people gave up and struggled for. Many that did come back from service never really made it all of the way back. This is going to sound very cynical of me but if we can't at least take the time to remember...Why should anyone give up so much just to be forgotten and unappreciated.
It seems that it was not that long ago there were still veterans from WW2 that had not been able to leave a VA hospital since being returned home. There are veterans from Korea and Vietnam that only see the inside of the same building every single day. Added to this there will those who served in the Middle East. These people need to be remembered as well and if possible, find a way to do something for these people as their world has become very limited due to their injuries.
Memorial day is not just about picnics and auto racing. It is about something much more important than that.
Lets Never Forget.
