The celebration of Memorial Day began ... some time ago. It started out in individual cities recognizing those who gave their lives in our nation's service. It was in the South where women's groups decorated graves at the end of the Civil War. In May of 1868 General John Logan issued orders to official honor the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. New York was the first state to recognize the holiday in 1873. And it kept spreading from there.
World War I brought a new set of honorees. Groups sprang up who used the occasion to raise money for needy servicemen and war orphans. Americans proudly honored our fallen soldiers, sailors, and Marines (and, later, airmen).
Today, Memorial Day is largely a celebration of the arrival of summer and barbecue season. If we remember those who have died in the defense of our freedom, we often do so with apathy at best and, too often, disdain. It seems as if giving your life for a noble cause is a bad thing in a society where getting is most highly prized.
So I'll make this short. Don't forget those who have given their lives so that you can enjoy the freedoms you enjoy. Don't forget the price of freedom. And don't forget to be grateful for the freedoms you have that were so dearly bought. Today would be a good day for that. Hey, maybe you could have a barbecue in honor of that remembrance? Just a thought.
1 comment:
Let their sacrifices not be forgotten, those who have fallen in the name of their country, their people.
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