A Memorial Day Reflection
Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day to remember those who have died in service to our country. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers.
During that first national commemoration, former Union General and sitting Ohio Congressman James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.
This national event galvanized efforts to honor and remember fallen soldiers that began with local observances at burial grounds in several towns throughout the United States following the end of the Civil War, such as the May 1, 1865 gathering in Charleston, South Carolina organized by freed slaves to pay tribute and give proper burial to Union troops.
In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. By the late 1800s, many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states had declared it a legal holiday.
After World War I, it became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars and was then more widely established as a national holiday throughout the United States.
In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday of May.
My Thoughts on Memorial Day:
I circumnavigated the globe by sea and by air, served two combat tours in Afghanistan and multiple combat cruises aboard various aircraft carriers over my 26 years of naval service. As Memorial Day approaches, it guides me towards the memories of my Shipmates who gave the ultimate sacrifice in peace time.
In war, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines from the special operations task force I worked for, and many, many more from other deployed units, killed on the battlefield… protecting their battle buddy (assigned partner in and out of combat), protecting me, protecting you!
On Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, a Fallen Comrade Ceremony was held for every service member killed in Afghanistan. Their flag draped coffins were solemnly processed via High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) down Disney Drive, named after one of their own, a fallen soldier, Army Specialist Jason A. Disney, who died in 2002. The cortege would slowly make its way to a dedicated C-17 aircraft. This Angel Flight took fallen comrades on their last journey to their grieving next of kin. These ceremonies allowed those who weren’t working to pay their last respects and render a final salute. There was never a ceremony where the road was not filled with people paying their respects, whether for one or for the many who fell in service to their nation.
I ponder their sacrifice and those of their families: embraces, moments, events no longer to be shared, less joyful because of their loss. I offer this for consideration: less than one percent of Americans serve in the U.S. military. If you desire to offer thanks, serve. If you see a neighbor who has a gold star banner in their window, it means they have a family member who was killed or died while serving in the Armed Forces. Ask them if they need anything, or if they are willing, to share a story of their loved one. Perhaps volunteer at a United Service Organization or at a local National Military Cemetery, helping decorate graves with flowers, wreaths and flags as it was back in the late 1860s, when wives, daughters and sisters commemorated the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers doing the same, once called Decoration Day, now Memorial Day.
Chad Simpson, CDR, US Navy, retired. PBA ’96 Alumnus
