This Weekend We Remember

I've been attending our local Memorial Day services every year since I was a kid. My brother and I would anxiously wait for our grandma to pick us up at 8:30am - sharp. My grandpa was an Army veteran who marched with the local American Legion Honor Guard proudly for many years. My grandma would help us find a good place to stand. When I was kid that meant being close enough to be able to collect the spent brass after the three volleys were fired. Of course, to her it meant giving the service your full attention, listening to the memorial roster, and placing your right hand on your heart as the flag passed by.

Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865. By the late 1860s Americans had begun holding springtime tributes to these fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers. Memorial Day, first known as Decoration Day, originally honored only those lost while fighting the Civil War. It wasn't until World War I that the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

Memorial Day became an official Federal holiday with the passing of Uniform Monday Holiday Act which went into effect in 1971, and also moved Memorial Day from May 30th to the last Monday in May.

“Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It's a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It's a day to be with the family and remember." - President Ronald Reagan, Memorial Day 1986.

My routine hasn't changed much over the years. My grandpa passed away in 2012, but I'll still be meeting my grandma at 8:30am - sharp - on Monday morning. We will listen to the memorial roster, we will place our hand over our hearts as the flag passes by, except now it's my own children who are excited to pick up the spent brass.

On Memorial Day we honor and remember the men and women who died while serving our country.

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PS - The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3:00 pm local time on Memorial Day for one minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the United States.