What does Memorial Day represent? To many, Memorial Day is a day to reflect and give thanks for the freedoms every citizen in the United States gets to enjoy. Others have a deeper connection to Memorial Day; honoring the memory of a their serviceman or woman. With disputes still happening all over the World many will not spend the day with their family and need our thoughts and prayers – take some to think about their controbutions!
The History of Memorial Day
Here is an excerpt from USMemorialDay.org on the history of Memorial Day.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. … 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.
National Memorial Day Parade
Right now I am watching the National Memorial Day Parade on the Military Channel and can be streamed live at NationalMemorialDayParade.com. If you’re at home take some time to watch the parade and learn some historical facts about our Nation’s armed services. I am very thankful for who give their service for the protection of our way of life so we can live our lives without fear of threat and violence. A quote I just heard, “Memorial Day is a holiday that makes all other holidays possible” and I couldn’t agree more.
For nearly 70 years, Washington, DC—our nation’s capital and headquarters of our military—was without a parade on our Armed Services’ most sacred day. This despite the fact that parades on Memorial Day have been a tradition in towns across America for well over a century. Sadly, in recent years, many of these parades have been fading away, as the true meaning of Memorial Day is being increasingly forgotten.
In 2005, the American Veterans Center decided to bring this great tradition back to the nation’s capital by creating the National Memorial Day Parade. Not merely an event for Washington, the National Memorial Day Parade is an event for the entire country—a major parade which seeks to draw the attention of Americans to the real meaning for the holiday: honoring those who have served, and died, to preserve our liberties.
From the BlogoSphere
- Art of Manliness: Motivational Posters from the Band of Brothers
- The Sandbox: Close to the Heart
- A Soldier’s Perspective: President Obama Memorial Day Proclamation
An interesting statistic about Memorial Day I heard this morning is that more beef is consumed on this day than other day of the year. As I type this post, the Washington sky is starting to open up and the Sun just may peek out. To contribute to the beef consumption statistic, Mickie and I are going to my girlfriend’s Dad’s house to barbecue and play some outdoor games.
Moment of Silence Observance: I am thinking about my Grandpa & Grandma Meissner, Dad and cousin Jesse.
Enjoy the Holiday because it’s more than a day off work.
Thank you for such an informative post. Definitely, we should be proud of our nationality.
You’re welcome Brian. The post is a bit old but still relevant. I am proud to be an American and be hired by our service members. Since you enjoyed this post here are two more you may enjoy, Happy Armed Forces Day – THANK YOU! and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) 2012 Tiger Cruise. Thanks for stopping by my small corner of the web!