I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but it was probably like three years ago before I realized what memorial day was--a day to honor our soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Here's a few more facts about memorial day. (All information was taken from http://www.usmemorialday.org/ )
-Memorial Day originally began after the Civil War. Called "Decoration Day" it was a day for everyone to decorate the graves--Union and Confederate--of those who died in the war and was celebrated on May 30.
-After World War I, Memorial Day was changed to honor American soldiers who died in any war.
-Moina Michael wrote the following poem about Memorial Day:
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.
-In 1971 it was changed to the last Monday in May, ensuring a 3-day weekend. Many critics argue that it detracts from the spirit of Memorial Day and encourages people to forget the real purpose of Memorial Day and instead go camping and barbecue.
-"Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected." --memorialday.org
-A variety of organization, including the Boy Scouts of America, decorate the graves of all of the fallen. To read more about this practice, click here.
-In 2000, a resolution was passed through Congress that on Memorial Day at 3:00 pm local time a moment of silence is observed to honor our fallen soldiers.
-All flags should fly at half mast until 12:00 pm
Here are some pictures, courtesy of the Boots in the Sand facebook page, of what Dallas and other soldiers, have been up to today.
Another 5K! The Memorial Day Remembrance Run.
Flag raising ceremony.
I am so thankful for those who have fought and died for our freedoms. It's so easy to forget what a blessing it is to be able to go to church with my children in peace, to know that in a few years, I can send them to school and they can learn to read. We are so blessed to live in this wonderful country with so many freedoms, and there are hundreds of thousands of men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us. We may not know their names and we may not recognize their faces, but I hope that they know that they are not forgotten.
More reading about Memorial Day:
How Washington celebrates Memorial Day: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43216499/ns/us_news-life/
An excellent article I read recently about the good work being done bring home the remains of our soldiers who were declared Missing in Action: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700136950/For-40-years-Orem-teacher-wore-bracelet-with-name-of-missing-soldier.html
Below is a video about what the soldiers in Afghanistan are doing to mark the day:
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