Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a
day of remembrance in the United States of America for those who have died in our nation's service.
In 1868, Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued General Order Number 11 designating May 30 as a memorial day "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."
The first national celebration of the holiday took place May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery, where both Confederate and Union soldiers were buried. Originally known as Decoration Day, at the turn of the century it was designated as Memorial Day.
On this day, we remember all those who have died in war by reflecting on words from
In Flanders Fields And Other Poems commemorating those who have made
the ultimate sacrifice.
Wordlab got a nice link today on
Blawg Review #8 where the host lawyer, a former Army officer himself, has some special thoughts and links for Memorial Day.
Posted by
abnu on Monday, May 30, 2005 @ 8:04 AM
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