What is this Memorial Dayall about?

[liberal N proud]

The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day to pause in an act of national unity (duration: one minute).The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom. It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans

http://www.remember.gov/MomentofRemembrance/tabid/54/Default.aspx


Now I thought the whole day of Memorial Day was to remember our veterans and those who have given their life for our country. I thought that is what all those "Memorial Day" ceremonies conducted by the American Legion and VFW around the country were, so we would remember.

Now I am learning that all we need is a moment at 3:00 PM in the afternoon? I guess that allows me to get in my boat early in the morning and to grill those hot dogs at noon on the beach and play some sand volley ball, then head on over to the ball park for some of that American pass time. But at 3:00 PM, I had better stop where ever I am for just a MOMENT and remember. At 3:01 PM, I can resume the fun and games to the Summer kick off holiday. Never mind that Summer does not officially start until June 21st, this is three day weekend and it is time for Sun, Sand and BEER!

Hope I don't get too busy doing all those fun relaxing activities or drink too much BEER that I forget to stop precisely at 3:00 PM. If I do, maybe I could fly to the next time zone and remember at 3:00 PM in that time zone, Na I guess I will just have to drink another BEER. I had better stock the refrigerator with more beer, this is a three day weekend and it is the start of Summer. It sure was nice of those veterans to sacrifice so I could have this 3 day weekend at the beginning of Summer to get it all started.

Wake-up this isn't what Memorial Day is supposed to be....

Remember what Memorial Day used to be? Get up early on the last Monday in May, the weather was usually fantastic (I don't remember the rainy ones)
You would get out of bed so you could make to the Cemetery for the local Memorial Day ceremony. What I remember is Dad dressing in the Legion Color Guard along with several others we knew in the community. They would march from the Legion building to the Cemetery. The High School band usually marched along. Cars drove with the Gold Star mothers and Veterans who were too old to make the walk. The parade route went right past our house. I remember the rifles as the echoed through the morning air, the trumpet playing taps. It seemed there was an unusual silence in the air, the normal sounds heard any other day just were not there.

As I grew more mature and started my own family, there was something about those Memorial Day ceremonies that stuck with me as I saw to it my children attended Memorial Day ceremonies. Several times as they were growing up we visited friends in Washington DC during the Memorial Day weekend. We made sure to take them to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day for the ceremony and speech at the Tomb or the Unknown Soldier. Talk about an ceremony that will choke you up! I recommend that everyone try to do this some point in your life. If not, try to find a local ceremony, nearly every community still has ceremonies in the morning. And Remember, it is not just a moment of remembrance but a DAY of Memorial.


Below is a little history on Memorial Day from the History Channel.
If you would like to read more, the link to the web page is at the bottom.


Memorial Day

Memorial Day is much more than a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer. To many people, especially the nation's thousands of combat veterans, this day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country.

The History of Memorial Day


Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:

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 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.

During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.

This 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances of the day in several towns throughout America that had taken place in the three years since the Civil War. In fact, several Northern and Southern cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Miss.; Macon, Ga.; Richmond, Va.; Boalsburg, Pa.; and Carbondale, Ill.



In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, declared Waterloo, N.Y., the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)

Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.



http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/memorial/?page=history

[TomInTib]

1. A moment. eh?

I spent 3 tours with a total of 74 guys. Twelve of us made it Home.

My guys deserve a Hell of a lot more than a 'moment', clowns.

[IChing]

3. I have six people I helped buried in Arlington Cemetery

Plus my Mom is buried there.

The soldiers that fought, followed orders, or had no choice and died
Is what I thought we honored this weekend.
For it was what the Civil War looked at,
the fallen soldiers on the wrong side of the battle
and the victors of the one's that write the history of man.

The honor in the same depth that the Greeks gave to
Hector and Achilles , nothing more, nothing less.

[TomInTib]

4. And for each and every underdog Soldier in the Night..

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden as the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the poet an the painter far behind his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

In the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
For the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Even though a clouds's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmfull, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Bob Dylan - Chimes Of Freedom

[liberal N proud]

5. Hallowed Ground indeed

[TahitiNut]

2. I'll spend that 'moment' thinking about the last American to be killed,

... probably within the prior 12 hours, and the next American to be killed, probably within the next 12 hours, in service to a "nation" that, by and large, cares more about the price of a gallon of gas than the lives wasted on making the world safe for wealthy profiteers and corporate pillagers. "National unity"? That's a laugh. The only "unity" seems to be in pointing the finger with one hand and stuffing our faces with the other. Democracy isn't a spectator sport - but we're a nation of spectators. We're a nation of spectators that has a fucking numbskull cheerleader in the Offal Orifice.

[Scoody Boo]

6. To me, Memorial Day is about John John.

Three weeks before the Panama Invasion, I was promoted to Sergeant. I had my stripes pinned on at Morning Formation and took over a squad a couple of days later. John John, a smartass Italian kid was one of my troops. His mission in life was to make me miserable.

I helped load the casket carrying his body onto a C-130 in Panama. I have never been the same.

John John is every soldier that ever died in service to my country to me. That is what Memorial Day is.

[kath]

7. It's strange - out here in OK people seem to decorate ALL graves of their

loved ones on Memorial Day - not just those of veterans, but Mom, Grandma, Sis, Grandpa, etc, etc.
Guess it's a way to sell more flowers, wreaths, etc.
But the original meaning of the day has been lost.

[RB TexLa]

8. I'm from Louisiana so this is not a state holiday because of

The federal government not including our side of the Seven Years War.