What do poppies, luminaria and flags all have in common? The title of this blog says it all—Memorial Day. Why a Memorial Day? One day out of every year is very little to give back in remembrance of those who ‘gave their all’ on behalf of their nation and their fellow Americans. Remembering that great sacrifice adds a somber and serious note, which many of us tend to forget or ignore while in pursuit of three day weekend happiness. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for backyard barbeques, gathering with family and friends, parades, baseball games, hotdogs, Mom and apple pie. I’m human, and face it, fun is a lot more fun than somber and serious. I am also a veteran, who understands as well as any that the fun I enjoy comes at a tremendous price. Those who gave their all deserve the respect and remembrance of all who live and laugh freely because of that sacrifice.
Oh, you thought Memorial Day as merely an excuse to have a three day weekend? Not so grasshopper. According to usmemorialday.org Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 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 I (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.”
The ways we show our gratitude and honor the memories of the fallen are many. Most common are the familiar parades, barbeques and gatherings of family and friends. Less common and less familiar are efforts like that of the soldiers of 3rd US Infantry who, as usmemorialday.org explains, “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.” The Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts of America “place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program).” Nation-wide the VFW through their ‘Buddy Poppy’ program sells artificial poppies made by veterans. The cost of Buddy Poppies “to VFW units provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, contributes financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nation's veterans.”
This year I will spend my Memorial Day weekend on a Blog Blitz (see Rue Allyn’s Tease Your Senses news page for details). While one purpose of the blitz is to promote my June 1, 2011 release, The Widow’s Revenge, each blog will give a nod or more to those who’ve made my present very happy and personally rewarding life possible. Leave a comment and let me know what you will do this weekend, to celebrate and to remember. Everyone who comments will be added to my mailing list and entered in a drawing for swag. Notice will be sent to recipients on or before June 15, 2011. For more information about Memorial Day here are two interesting and informative websites.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html
http://www.history.com/topics/memorial-day-history
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3 comments:
Rue, excellent blog and I learned a lot from it. From a mother of a soldier, thank you for your service to our country and happy upcoming release day. I look forward to reading your book.
Great blog, Rue! Thanks for the timely reminder, and best of luck on the release of The Widow's Revenge!
Patti, Cindy, you are both most welcome. Thanks for leaving a comment. I'll put you both in the drawing for swag.
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