Lest we forget, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those men and women of the armed forces who have made the supreme sacrifice in times of war.  

The occasion of Memorial Day will be marked by parades, speeches and wreath-laying ceremonies.  People are urged to take time from their day’s activities on Memorial Day to remember those who died in the service of their country. For those who have lost a loved one in the service of our country, the day will be an especially poignant one.

Established in the 1860s during the American Civil War, Memorial Day tapped into the general human need to honor our dead who have done so much to serve this great country. Memorial Day came into being in a ceremony called Decoration Day in 1868 when John Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued an  order fixing May 30, “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in the defense of their country in the late rebellion.” Memorial Day was originally observed as a memorial by the northern states to the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War.  From this, Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, as it also came to be called, grew into a national holiday that honors soldiers killed in all wars. 

Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971 and has been an annual tribute to those who have given their lives in service to their country. May 30th was initially designated as Memorial Day but an Act of Congress moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May which only served to take away from its intended purpose as a day to remember our war dead. 

The day has and always should be a day when we all ,take a moment to honor and reflect upon these men and women of the armed forces who have made the supreme sacrifice in times of wars to protect our freedom. They perished in service to their country and for each and every man, woman, and child who calls the United States home.

My gratitude to all men and women in uniform who served and who are still serving in our armed forces – From Rosalinda R Morgan, author of “BAHALA NA (Come What May): A WWII Story of Faith, Love, Courage, Determination and Survival”, a book dedicated to our soldiers.

Rosalinda Morgan

Author and Garden Writer