May 26, 2003

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  Memorial Day… What does it stand for?

  
  

   

  
  

  For most, the answer to that would primarily be a 3-day weekend. A weekend full of fun, picnics, beer, music, family & friends. It also means special sales to attract customers in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar. But what does it really mean? Why was it set aside as a special day, recognized as an official holiday by our Federal government?

  
  

   

  
  

  From the US Memorial Day Organization website, I found this tidbit of history (title below is linked):

  
  

  
  

  Memorial Day

  
  

  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. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act, P.L. 90 – 363, in 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

  
  

   

  
  

  Here in Hawaii, as a child, many of us sewed lei to be distributed on the graves of Veterans in all the Islands Veterans cemeteries. From each island, one child’s lei would be specially selected to be placed on the Punch Bowl Cemetery’s version of the Tomb of the Unknown. It was such a great honor! We all understood how important these people were to our country, although in a child’s way. The lei were symbols of our respect & for what these men & women did for us all.

  
  

   

  
  

  So take a few minutes of silent honor & respect in your day of picnicking & shopping this celebrated date for this year of May 26. Say a few prayers or however you express your honor. And when the actual date set aside comes this Friday, the 30th, again set aside a few minutes in silent remembrance, as I most certainly will.

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