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Memorial Day

Memorial Day should be a special holiday for us all. The last Monday of May is in danger of becoming just an ordinary day unless we start teaching our kids its true meaning.
Once known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was made official in 1967 but in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was created and passed to provide a three day weekend to celebrate our most important holidays.

Memorial Day had been celebrated May 30 for years but the law was changed to the last Monday in May and became official at the Federal level in 1971.
Memorial Day is used nowadays to recognize all of our veterans but was intended to be a day to honor those who lost their lives while in service of their country.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t appreciate everyone that served or is serving on that day but just remember Memorial Day is intended for those who died while in service. All who volunteer for service are heroes in his or her own right. Many people will go to National Cemeteries and pay tribute and honor to those heroes. Tradition includes laying flowers, coins and placing the United States flag near the monuments.

I wish that every single person that visits the grave sites this Memorial Day will bring their kids or grandkids and tell the story of the hero who gave all. Memorial Day speeches should include details about each conflict and even the atrocities that occurred.

We as a nation must teach these things to our young to make them aware of the who, what and why of history and the pain brought on by these battles and wars and recognize the brave men and women who lost their lives while protecting us all.

Memorial Day this year is on May 25 and it will provide a great opportunity to remember our heroes and to tell the story of their lives.