Let Us Remember

Did you know that Memorial Day actually started as Decoration Day and was celebrated on May 30 every year starting in 1868? Two years before that, the southern states had established a Confederate Memorial Day.  Held on different days throughout the South, Confederate Memorial Day was created to honor the Confederate soldiers who had fallen. Decoration Day was so named because that was the day that people throughout our nation went to the graveyard of their fallen heroes and "decorated" their tombstones with flowers, wreathes and other memorabilia. The Civil War is still the conflict in which we have lost the most lives -- believed to be around 618,000.  The preferred holiday name was not popularly known as Memorial Day until after WWII and was not officially designated as Memorial Day until changed by Federal law in 1967.

In 1968, our government passed the Uniform Holidays Bill which moved four holidays to Mondays to establish long weekends: Memorial Day moved to the fourth Monday in May.  The VFW formally objected to moving the day and still believes that doing so has led to a nonchalant observance by the public to what was once a day steeped with deep meaning and solemn remembrance.  It has become more of an observance of the beginning of summer for many people.  And, though we appreciate our military, this day is not for the soldiers still serving their country or our brave veterans.  It is to remember the fallen. Hence, "Memorial" day.

Since 1987, Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii has introduced a bill to return Memorial Day to its original date.  Not only is he a veteran of WWII himself, but think of the many service members entombed at the Arizona Memorial.  It carries very special meaning for Hawaiians, I, too, wish we still observed it on May 30 as it was when I was a kid. Dad would take us to Arlington National Cemetery and we would place flowers on my grandfather's grave. Arlington would become the cemetery  where he (in 1977) and my mother (in 1996) were laid to rest after beautiful and very moving ceremonies.

And there isn't anything "happy" about it, so please do not say "Happy Memorial Day."  Visit your cemeteries and attend Memorial Day services and observances, participate in picnics, parades or whatever, but try to keep in mind what it is really all about.