Memorial Day MEMORIAL DAY, Remembering Our Fallen Heroes

Cooking With Carlo ^ | May 23 2003 | Carlo3b

[carlo3b]

Memorial Day

Remembering Our Fallen Heroes

A Brief History of Memorial Day Decoration Day The morning of May 5, 1865. The war weary townspeople of Waterloo, New York, continued the recent Sunday ritual of placing flowers, wreaths, and crosses on the graves of their fallen soldiers in their local cemetery. Much the same was happening throughout the country, in both the Northern and Southern states, as Americans slowly healed the wounds that ravaged our young nation during the Great Civil War. That same day, Henry C. Welles, a druggist in the village of Waterloo, suggested at a social gathering that a more organized and official honor should be shown to the patriotic dead of the Civil War. That idea was embraced by those in attendance, and from there a movement began to take shape. On May 5, 1866, additional civic societies joined the procession to the three existing cemeteries and were led by veterans marching to martial music. At each cemetery there were impressive and lengthy services including speeches by General Murray and a local clergyman. The ceremonies were repeated again on May 5, 1867. The following year, Retired Major General Jonathan A. Logan planned another ceremony, this time for the soldiers who survived the war. He led the veterans through town to the cemetery to decorate their comrades' graves with flags. This group was generally referred to as the "Old Guard." It was not a happy celebration, it was a memorial. The townspeople called it Decoration Day. During that memorial ceremony, the General delivered the following proclamation excerpt; Memorial Day Retired Major General Loan's proclamation; "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 and 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." There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves even before the end of the Civil War. A hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet, carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). At the first official memorial, flowers were placed on the graves of both the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Poppy Day In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael (the mother of the Poppy) replied with her own poem: 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. She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one and sell poppies to her friends and co-workers, the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later, Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael, and when she returned to France, she also made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit the war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later, their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3-cent postage stamp with her likeness on it. Since the late 50's, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry have placed a 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 first state to officially recognize Memorial Day as a 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, an official declaration passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act. Several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings.

[carlo3b]

Thank you as always for reminding us how honorable men and women made our sorry lives so easy.. eyes always up my dear Marine.

[tubebender]

Thank you. Here is the latest on Capt Andy La Mont...Marine

[Alberta's Child]

The one thing I've always said is that the Wall in D.C. is in the wrong place -- it should be away from all the other monuments (perhaps in or next to Arlington Cemetery). While it honors the 58,000+ who gave their lives in Vietnam, it also represents one of the most shameful eras in our nation's history.

I don't think Abraham Lincoln would be too proud to look out upon it from his seat in the Lincoln Memorial, knowing how this great nation of his had p!ssed away so many lives and wasted so much courage and heroism like that.

[carlo3b]

We will remember Patrick Scharosch, thank you for your kindness in tell us about Patrick. Bless them all..

[carlo3b]

"Eulogy for a Veteran"

Just beautiful, thank you so very much for posting it...

[Alberta's Child]

Sorry about that -- I get a little steamed whenever the subject of Vietnam comes up.

On a serious note, I always find it worthwhile to point out to foreign visitors that the lame happy nonsense associated with the "peace movement" in the 1960s didn't have the most rational reasons for opposing the Vietnam War. Canadians in particular seem to have this nostalgic view of those war protesters, maybe because their view is colored by Americans who fled to Canada to avoid the draft.

[carlo3b]

I'll always question wether I deserve to be counted with so many who have done so much more.

Listen up soldier, we didn't choose our duty, we just did it..
It's our continued duty to remind others about those who did more than we asked of them to keep us free..

[Diver Dave]

Thanks for the ping and the tribute.

Salute!

[SAMWolf]

If I had my way it wouldn't even be in DC. It's be in the heartland somewhere where the real America is, not in that LaLa land of politicos and beauracrats live.

[carlo3b]

As always Linda, you bring us just breathtaking and oh so appropriate pictures..thank you dear girl..

[carlo3b]

A big {{{{SMOOCH}}}} for you sweet Angel.. Don't tell you know who... ;)

[Alberta's Child]

That's a good point that I hadn't even considered. I couldn't explain it very well at the time, but I told my friend that whenever I was in Washington D.C. I felt like I was in another country.

[carlo3b]

Thanks for helping...

[carlo3b]

These holidays are so sad for some of us who have lost such close friends... posting this and the closeness of our FReeper family really does help.. Thank you my little buddy for the links...

[Victoria Delsoul]

On a serious note, I always find it worthwhile to point out to foreign visitors that the lame happy nonsense associated with the "peace movement" in the 1960s didn't have the most rational reasons for opposing the Vietnam War. Canadians in particular seem to have this nostalgic view of those war protesters, maybe because their view is colored by Americans who fled to Canada to avoid the draft.

Well, the problem is that these people are spreading a very radical and dangerous ideology, and use it on our young and vulnerable children.

[Spruce]

We will NEVER let you down!

Tank crewmen from Company D, 1st Tank Battalion, play dominoes, "the bones," in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.

Marine Cpl. William Cody Furniss, a radio technician with Company D, 1st Tank Battalion, enjoys a little down time in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.

A tank crewman from Company D, 1st Tank Battalion, braves a sandstorm during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

A Marine stands at the gates to the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq.

Marine Motor Mechanic Lance Cpl. April Marie Gorden, from Louisville, Ky., installs an alternator in a high-mobility mulitpurpose wheeled vehicle in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

An old Iraqi T-55 tank sits near Main Camp, Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq.

An Iraqi guard at Babylon, Iraq, brandishes a scythe.

Marine Combat Videographer Lance Cpl. James Aguilar, from Camden, N.J., wields his video camera and 9mm service pistol to document Operation Iraqi Freedom at Diwaniyah. Aguilar has a tattoo of Michael, the biblical angel, with a large sword and armor, and a large Crucifix that wraps around his arm.

All illustrations: U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jack M. Carillo

[carlo3b]

How wonderful to have read the history of the United States Marine Corps Hymn..Thank you so very much for your posting it, and for the service of your Dad and Brother...

[Alberta's Child]

Well, the problem is that these people are spreading a very radical and dangerous ideology, and use it on our young and vulnerable children.

That's right -- in the words of Pat Buchanan, "they entered the 1990s and arrived at the White House with their ideological baggage intact."

[carlo3b]

Remembering Capt Andy La Mont...

Oh so young and so very brave..we will miss him..but we will not forget Andrew, thanks to you..huggg

[carlo3b]

My father served, my brothers served.
I have that honor. I have served the greatest nation on earth, the USA. And, I was in the USMC. Not bad at all. :)

We can not ask much more from a family than that..a simple thanks is clearly not enough..but we mean it deeply..