Ok, so a day late and a dollar short as usual. But this came up yesterday and I couldn't help but wonder how many people out there just don't know what My husband and I were talking and he asked if I had told our active military son Happy Memorial Day yet & thanked him for our service. Um, no. I mean I text my son ALL the time because he's my son & I love and miss him terribly BUT Memorial Day is NOT about thanking the active duty or even veterans. And to say "Happy" Memorial Day just sounded wrong to me. So, what is Memorial Day? I did a little research, cause learning things can be fun and I really didn't know much besides that we honor those who die in the service of our nation.
According to the VA National Cemetary Administration, Memorial Day is a federal holiday celebrated the last Monday each May, as the nation's foremost annual day to mourn & honor the deceased service men & women who died while in service to our country. Originally Memorial day was called Decoration Day & began towards the end of the Civil War (sometime between 1861-1865) and was primarily observed by decorating the graves of deceased service men & women and remembering the wars that have given us our freedom. It was renamed on May 5, 1868 by the "Memorial Day Order" by John A Logan to become Memorial Day. Later, on May 11, 1950, President Truman issued a proclamation for American's to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer, according to whatever individual faith they had, praying for permanent peace for our country. Memorial Day became an official Federal Holiday, effective in 1971. In Dec 2000 the National Moment of Remembrance Act established National Moment of Remembrance at 3 pm local time each Memorial Day as a moment of silence for those who have died in the service of our nation. Memorial Day is one of two holidays that the American Flag is ordered to be flown at Half Mast in memory of all military members that gave their lives.
There is a lot more information on the evolution of this holiday celebrating the ultimate sacrifice of our service men & women to where it has become what we know it as today- a day most people get off work for a three-day vacation, spend time with their families, BBQ, take a trip, camp and otherwise enjoy the freedom in life we sometimes take for granted at the start of summer. Take a moment next Memorial Day to remember why the holiday was created in the first place- to honor our fallen military members, remember the horrible wars that led us to where we are today as a free country, and pray for permanent peace that will end all war.
So no, Memorial Day is NOT a time to thank a Veteran or Active Duty Military member. Don't get me wrong, I have come to love telling anyone I see wearing Veteran apparel thank you for their service. & I'm at the stage of being a new military mom where if I see a service man or woman in uniform I want to run up to them, give them a hug & tell them their mom is super proud of them and if they aren't they should be! All while crying and wishing I were hugging my son. I DON'T recommend doing that, at least without permission, but the thought has crossed my mind many times! However, Memorial Day is not about the veterans or active duty, it is uncomfortable for them to be the focus of Memorial Day because it's NOT about them.
Just remember that Memorial Day is to celebrate the memory of those military men and women that gave their life for our freedom, the ultimate sacrifice so we can live our lives the way we decide. Veterans are specifically celebrated on Veterans Day (always on Nov 11th) and Armed Forces Day (the third Sat in May) is a time to celebrate those currently serving. While I am proud of my son making the commitment to serving his country and being willing to die if the need arises to protect everyone's freedom, not just his friends and family members- Memorial Day is NOT about him. And I hope it never will be.
Thank you to all who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life's in order for all of us to enjoy the freedom and opportunities that we have today.
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