For far too many Americans Memorial Day is nothing more than a reason to get a day off from work, a reason to have a sale or a reason to have a party. Few take even a moment to consider what Memorial Day is all about.
General Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic was the ‘official' creator of Memorial Day as we know it. His General Order #11, issued on May 5 th of 1868 established May 30 th as the “designate for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades, who died in defense, of their country during the late rebellion and whose bodies now lie in almost every City, village, and hamlet, church yard 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.”
On June 22 nd 1968 General Logan introduced a motion to the US Legislature to officially establish Memorial Day and it was unanimously adopted by congress.
Since that time, cities, towns, villages, civic groups and public groups have held Memorial Day parades and ceremonies to honor those that have served in the military and especially those that have given their lives for you, for me and for our fellow Americans.
It is a day on which we Americans should stop and think about the precious freedom we have and remember those that have fought and died to ensure our continued freedom. More than that, it is a day on which we should teach our children that everything that we have both tangible like our homes and possessions and intangible like our freedom and safety has been made available to us only because the brave men and women in our armed forces are willing to not only fight but also give their blood and even their lives for us and our country.
It is not a day for partisan politics, for war bashing, for war mongering or for social or political demonstrations or statements. It is not a day on which we should allow ourselves to continue to be divided by our political persuasion, racial distinction, original nationality nor is it a day on which we should allow our thoughts and feelings on whether or not our country is being led in the right direction by the right people to deter us from remembering the original purpose of this day; to honor those that have died to keep us free.
I had the distinct pleasure to visit Washington , D.C. on Memorial Day a few years ago. There were three places I wanted to take my children; the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Arlington National Cemetery and specifically the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The reason? To remind my children that we would not be who we are today or have the opportunities we have today if it weren't for brave men and women willing to fight to their own death to defend democracy, our nation and our way of life; that each name on the wall was someone who gave his or her life for us and each grave was for someone who served
our country in our armed forces or our government. As we walked up to the Wall I was overwhelmed by emotion. The true scope of the memorial cannot be understood by looking at photos or video – instead, it can only be felt as you stand before it. Although the cold, hard stone lists names by the thousands it isn't the names that you see first. What you see first is the flowers, the flags, the pins, the pictures and the other little trinkets left at by the families of those whose names are etched in the stone. It isn't the Wall that you see as you stand before it, it is the old widow kissing her fingers and then placing them on her husband's name that you see. It is the children with their little piece of paper and piece of charcoal taking a rubbing of their grandparent's names that you see. It is the adults bowing their heads and saying a small prayer for their brothers that you see. It is the tears of those who find the name of their loved one among the thousands as they roll down grief stricken faces that you see.
The wall isn't the true memorial; it is simply a piece of stone stuck in the ground before which people gather. The true memorial is the people themselves that come to see it.
From the wall we moved on to Arlington National Cemetery . The Old Guard had been out the night before placing flags centered exactly one foot in front of each of the hundreds of thousands of plain, white headstones as they have done each and every year for the past 40 years.
It is an awe-inspiring sight as you gaze out over the 200 acres that encompass Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington Mansion . No matter which way I turned I saw nothing but plain, white headstones with brightly colored flags placed carefully in front of each.
It began to gently rain as we approached the Tomb of the Unknowns. The Tomb, I explained to my children, holds the remains of an unknown Solder of World War I, an unknown solder of World War II, an Unknown Solder of the Korean Conflict and an empty crypt where the remains of a soldier from the Vietnam Conflict once lay but were disinterred and identified and subsequently buried elsewhere by the family.
The tomb is guarded by a member of the 3 rd U.S. Infantry (also known as “The Old Guard”) as has been done every single hour of every single day since April 6 of 1948. The Sentinel takes 21 steps down the padded mat in front of the Tomb, turns and faces east exactly for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for exactly 21 seconds, takes 21 steps back down the padded mat and the process repeats. After each turn the soldier sharply snaps his rifle into place on the shoulder between himself and the crowd, signifying that the Sentinel stands between the tomb and any possible threat.
Every 30 minutes or one hour (depending on the season) the Guard Sentinel is changed in an elaborate ceremony, never leaving the tomb unguarded.
To each American the Tomb represents something different but to the soldiers that guard it is the tomb of brothers in arms, a tomb that represents all that have given their lives in the armed services and are “known but to God”. It is their honor to guard the tomb and only the very best of the 3 rd Infantry based in Fort Myer , VA are ever given an assignment to Company E – The Old Guard.
For me, Memorial Day in Washington , D.C. was an eye opening experience. We went from the pure emotion and personalized memorials carried out by the civilians at the Wall to the highly ritualized and continuous military ceremonial memorial at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
In both places, though, the theme was the same – we need to remember those that have given their lives so that you and I have the opportunity to live ours as free Americans.
This Memorial Day, take a minute out to visit a parade or a ceremony. Better yet, visit www.thankyouveterans.org or www.usafreedomcorps.gov and send a message to a soldier just letting him or her know that you acknowledge the sacrifice they and their families must make to allow you to live out the American Dream.
But most of all, take a moment to explain to your children, the next generation of Americans, just what it means to be an American and that men and women all over the world have fought and are fighting today to keep us safe and free.
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