Friday, May 27, 2011

A Traditional Memorial Day

Traditionally, Memorial Day is set aside for all Americans to remember the men and women who died while in service to our country. The day, variously known as Decoration Day and Poppy Day, was officially proclaimed by General John Logan. It was first observed on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Now, small American flags are placed at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones.

On January 19, 1999, Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye (a decorated war hero of WWII http://bit.ly/ijc5Jt) introduced a bill which proposed to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May." To date, this has not occurred.

This year, however, May 30th falls on the last Monday in May and Memorial Day will be observed on the traditional date. Another easily followed tradition is to observe a moment of silence at 3pm (1500 hrs.) your local time in honor of those who have died in service to our country. 
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9 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 28, 2011 at 12:31 AM

    Have a great memorial week-end!

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  2. Ellis VidlerMay 28, 2011 at 1:22 AM

    Memorial Day has always been a favorite holiday, not commercialized (yet), usually good weather, and a relaxing time. I have mixed feelings about the date. Since I work, having it with a weekend makes it much nicer, but the real date may have more meaning.

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  3. Heather M. GardnerMay 28, 2011 at 2:32 AM

    I once signed a petition to have the date restored.

    I think we need a different 'holiday' for people to start their summers with. I'm sure Hallmark can come up with something.

    Thanks for posting this.
    HMG

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  4. L. Diane WolfeMay 28, 2011 at 5:51 AM

    I guess they decided a three day weekend was easier. Just wish more emphasis was placed on its meaning.

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  5. The Kid In The Front RowMay 29, 2011 at 1:32 AM

    It blows my mind how much people have sacrificed, allowing us the freedoms we have.

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  6. Gail M Baugniet - AuthorMay 31, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    Thank you all for your comments about Memorial Day. I spend both Sunday and Monday attending Memorial Day ceremonies, each unique in its focus.

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  7. AnonymousJune 1, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    I've probably commented before about the year I lived in Laie. The Diamond photo, that came up under the You might also like, took me back to that year and to Memorial Day there. So many memories for us Americans of that infamous day in December. So many lives lost in so many wars. It seems the world is a history of war. Always one somewhere. I pause often and think about those who have died to preserve our freedoms.

    Good post.

    p.s. I just saw your comment on Twitter. I still don't know how to use Twitter completely, but I go in once a day to find useful or interesting links, and connect with friends.
    Ann Best, Memoir Author

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  8. UnknownJune 2, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    Hi Gail!

    Just wanted to say 'thank you' for your support during my A-Z blogging month. I've created a fun "no strings attached" blog award for you and all of the other awesome bloggers who offered feedback and encouragement.

    You can view the award and my thank you note here:
    http://the-open-vein-ejwesley.blogspot.com/2011/06/im-back-bringing-love.html

    Hope you are well and that I see you around in the future!

    EJ

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  9. Gail M Baugniet - AuthorJune 3, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Ann, yes I remember your mention of living in Laie and pictures of Diamond Head are a reminder of Pearl Harbor and our entrance into WWII.

    E.J., Thank you for the award. I never did recover from the A-Z Challenge!

    ReplyDelete

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