Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day.
There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).
While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.
It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868.
It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
General John A. Logan
Library of Congress,
Prints & Photographs
Division,
[LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]
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 of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) 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.
In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
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
She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.
Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help.
Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
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. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day.
While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.
There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.
In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."
The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.
Sign the Petitionin support of bill S 189To date, there has been no further developments on the bill.
Please write your Representative and your Senators, urging them to support these bills. You can also contact Mr. Inouye and Mr. Gibbons to let them know of your support.
Visit our Help Restore the Traditional Day of Observance page for more information on this issue, and for more ways you can help. To see what day Memorial Day falls on for the next 10 years, visit the Memorial Day Calendar page.
Sources and related links:
Boalsburg, Pa., Birthplace of Memorial Day [www.rootsweb.com/~pacentre/memory.htm]
DC City Pages: History of Memorial Day [www.cnn.com/US/9805/25/memorial.day.wrap/]
General Logan Biography [www.jal.cc.il.us/johnlogan.html]
General Logan's General Order 11 [www.usmemorialday.org/order11.html]
Help Restore the Traditional Day of Observance of Memorial Day [www.usmemorialday.org/act.html]
Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 from Duke University) [memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/ncdhtml/hasmhome.html]
How to Observe Memorial Day [www.usmemorialday.org/observe.htm]
Luminaria Program [www.nps.gov/frsp/luminari.htm]
Memorial Day Events - Dept of Veterans Affairs "The Office of Public Affairs provides this page of items that may be of special interest to veterans and customers." [www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/events.htm]
The Origins of Memorial Day [www1.va.gov/visns/visn03/kids/memorialday.htm]
Roy, Nuhn. Portfolio: To Honor The Memory of the Departed. American History Illustrated 1982 17[3]: 20-25.
S 189 and H.R. 1474, bills to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day. [www.usmemorialday.org/act.html]
"S. Con. Res. 100", resolution for a National Moment of Remembrance. [www.usmemorialday.org/resolution.html]
Statement on Signing the National Moment of Remembrance Act [www.usmemorialday.org/speeches/president/dec2800.txt]
Taps Information [www.usmemorialday.org/taps.html]
Today in History: May 30 American Memory project, The Library of Congress [memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may30.html]
VFW's "Buddy" Poppy program
Waterloo, Official Birthplace of Memorial Day [www.rootsweb.com/~nyseneca/memorial.htm]
© 1994 - 2004 David Merchant Updated 30 August 2004
http://www.legion.org/?section=our_flag&subsection=flag_code&content=flag_position
El día conmemorativo, originalmente llamado Decoration Day, es un día del remembrance para los que han muerto en el servicio de nuestra nación. Hay muchas historias en cuanto a sus con reales principios, concluído dos ciudades docena y las ciudades que ponen demanda a ser el lugar de nacimiento del día conmemorativo.
Hay también evidencia que los grupos de las mujeres ordenadas en el sur adornaban sepulcros antes del final de la guerra civil: un himno publicado en 1867, " genuflexión donde nuestros amantes están durmiendo " por Nella L. Sweet llevó el esmero " a las señoras del sur que están adornando los sepulcros de los muertos confederados " (fuente: Música, 1850-1920 Historic American Sheet De Duque University's).
Mientras que Waterloo N.Y. oficialmente fue declarada el lugar de nacimiento del día conmemorativo por presidente Lydon Johnson en mayo de 1966, es difícil probar concluyente los orígenes del día. Es más probable que tenga muchos principios del seperate.
General Juan A. Logan Biblioteca del congreso, división & de las fotografías de las impresiones, [ LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (neg & de la película de b W.) ]
El día conmemorativo fue proclamado oficialmente el 5 de mayo de 1868 por general Juan Logan, comandante nacional del ejército magnífico de la república, en su orden general No. 11, y primero observado el 30 de mayo de 1868, cuando las flores fueron colocadas en los sepulcros de los soldados de la unión y del confederato en el cementerio del nacional de Arlington.
El sur rechazó reconocer el día, honrando a sus muertos el días del seperate hasta después de la guerra mundial I (cuando el día de fiesta cambiante de honrar apenas a los que murieron el luchar en la guerra civil a honrar a los americanos que murieron el luchar en cualquier guerra).
Ahora se celebra en casi cada estado el lunes pasado en mayo (pasado por Congress en 1971, P.L. 90 - 363, para asegurar un fin de semana de tres días por días de fiesta federales), aunque varios estados meridionales tienen un día adicional, separado para honrar a los muertos confederados de la guerra: De enero el 19 en Tejas, de abril el 26 en Alabama, la Florida, Georgia, y Mississippi; De mayo el 10 en Carolina del sur; y de junio el 3 (cumpleaños de Jefferson Davis) en Luisiana y Tennessee.
En 1915, inspirado por el poema " en los campos de Flandes, " Moina Michael contestado con su propio poema:
Acariciamos también, el rojo de la amapola
Aquí crece en los campos donde valor conducido,
Se parece señalar a los cielos
Esa sangre de los héroes de los dados nunca.
Ella entonces concibió de una idea de desgastar popies rojos en día conmemorativo en el honor de los que murieron el searving de la nación durante guerra. Ella era las primeras a para desgastar uno, y vendidas amapolas sus amigos y los compañeros de trabajo con el dinero que iba a beneficiar a mecánicos en necesidad.
Una señora Guerin de Francia visitaba más adelante los Estados Unidos y aprendido de este nuevo costumbre comenzado por ms Michael y cuando ella volvió a Francia, hizo amapolas rojas artificiales para levantar el dinero para los niños dejados huérfano guerra y widowed a mujeres. Esta tradición se separó a otros países. En 1948 el correos de los E.E.U.U. honró a ms Michael para su papel en la fundación del movimiento nacional de la amapola publicando un rojo sello de 3 centavos con su semejanza en él.
Desde los últimos años 50 el jueves antes del día conmemorativo, los 1.200 soldados de la infantería de 3d los E.E.U.U. colocan indicadores americanos pequeños en cada uno de los más de 260.000 gravestones en el cementerio del nacional de Arlington. Entonces patrullan 24 horas al día durante el fin de semana para asegurarse de que cada indicador sigue siendo que está parado.
Pero la mayoría de los americanos se han olvidado hoy en día del significado y de las tradiciones del día conmemorativo.
Para ayudar a americanos a recordar el significado del día, "el momento nacional de la resolución" de Remembrance fue pasado en la DEC 2000 de la cual pregunta que en el tiempo local de 3 P.M., porque todos los americanos " observan a voluntariamente e informal de su propia manera al momento el remembrance y respecto, deteniéndose brevemente lo que él está haciendo por un momento del silencio o de está escuchando los ' golpecitos. "
Además, de enero el 19 de 1999 senador Inouye introdujo la cuenta S 189 al senado que propone restablecer el día tradicional de la observancia del día conmemorativo de nuevo de mayo al 30 en vez " del lunes pasado en mayo ". De abril el 19 de 1999 Gibbons representativo introdujo la cuenta a la casa (H.R. 1474). Las cuentas fueron referidas el comité sobre la judicatura y el comité sobre reforma del gobierno.
Hasta la fecha, no ha habido otros progresos en la cuenta. Escriba por favor su Representante y sus Senadores, impulsándolos utilizar estas cuentas. Usted puede también entrarlas en contacto con Sr. Inouye y Sr. Gibbons dejó saber de su ayuda.
© 1994 - 2003 David Merchant Updated 1 May 2003
Jour Memorial, appelai le Jour, originellement Décoration est l'un jour de remembrance pour ceux-là qui être mort in nos la nation le service. Il y a de nombreuses histoires vis-à-vis c'est des commencement concret, sur villes deux de douzaines et villes résidant de la demande à sur étant le lieu de naissance de Jour Memorial.
Il y a aussi de la preuve qui organisa les groupes dans des femmes décorions à de publier dans 1867, à de "s'Agenouiller Où Nos Chéries sont en train de Dormir" by les tombes Sudes devant la fin de l'un cantique Guerre : Civile L de Nella.
Le bonbon porta la dédicace "À les Dames du Sud qui est en train de Décorer Complètement" les Tombes du Confédéré Musique, de Nappe Historique Américaine de l'Université de Duc de (Source : 1850-1920). While Waterloo N. Y. Fus déclaré by officiellement le lieu de naissance de Jour Memorial Lydon de de Président Johnson en mai 1966, l'est difficile à prouve décisivement les origines du jour. C'est plus vraisemblable que c'eut nombreux seperate des commencements.
Général John À. LoganBibliothèque de Congrès,
Imprime et Photographie Division,
[LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]
Jour premier Memorial fut proclamé officiellement les 5 mai 1868 Général John Logan, le commandant national de la Grande Armée de dedans la République, sa Commande Générale Non. 11, et premier fus observé les 30 mai 1868, quand des fleurs furent placés sur les tombes de Syndicat et Confédéré des soldats à Arlington Cimetière National.
Le Sud refusa le jour, honorant-leur mort sur jours de seperate après Monde à pour reconnaître War je (quand le congé se transforma exactement honorant ceux-là qui mort luttant dans la Guerre Civile à Américains honorants qui morts luttant dans guerre) quelconque.
L'est célébré immédiatement dans presque chaque État dessus dernier Monday in mai (passai by Congrès dans 1971 à assure trois un jour week-end pour Fédéral des congés,) quoique plusieurs sudiste des états ai supplémentaire, distinct du jour pour honorant Confédéré la guerre le mort : janvier 19 in le Texas, avril 26 in l'Alabama, la Floride, la Géorgie, et le Mississippi ; mai 10 in le South Carolina ; et juin 3 (Jefferson Davis' anniversaire) in la Louisiana et le Tennessee.
Un Moment récemment, "National de résolution de Remembrance" a été parrainé ("S. Con. Res. 100") par Sénateurs Bob Kerrey (D,. Neb) et Chuck Hagel (R,. Neb) et premier initiai by Non plus Grande Chérie dans 1997 : À 3 m de p.. Le local time, tout pour les Américains
"À volontairement et officieusement observe dans their own substantiellement un Moment de du remembrance et du respect, arrêtant de whatever ils sommes en train de faire pour un moment de du silence ou écoutant 'Taps. '"
© Imprime et Photographie Division, [LC-B8172- 6403 DLC (b&w film neg.)]
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