05-29-2017, 08:33 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-29-2017, 08:39 PM by Wonky3. Edited 1 time in total.)
Anyone else remember when it was known as "Decoration Day"?
I was 10 years old in 1947 and remember my grandmother, then in her 70's, calling it Decoration Day". My grandmother was born in the 1870's and as a 10 year old child would have known Civil War veterans, most likely some from her family. Decoration Day was a day set aside to honor the fallen of the Union Army and later the Confederate Fallen were included, but on a different date originally.
Then came the Great War to "Save the world for Democracy". We included the fallen of "Flanders Fields" and we wore paper Poppys sold by Veteran organizations.
World War Two and the tragic losses of that war were included in the remembrances.
Now, there have been far too many wars where we are given the chance to honor those who "have fallen" and died in far off places with strange sounding names.
We remember them, in whatever way we choose to spend the day.
Is it too much to hope that someday (sooner than later) we will no longer suffer the anguish and grief of the loss of our young men and women who have been killed for sometimes obscure and irrational reasons?
I will remember the members of my own family who died in battle, and reflect and give thanks to the memory of those who gave their lives to protect our land from invasion and occupation. My American flag flies at my front porch, in itself not precious, but representing a valuable symbol for which I have deep respect.
I trust and hope you too have the chance to reflect about the value of this day and it's many layered meanings. I'm sure you will, and hope you can be involved in ceremonies I won't be able to attend.
It's good to be an American. We are blessed.
I was 10 years old in 1947 and remember my grandmother, then in her 70's, calling it Decoration Day". My grandmother was born in the 1870's and as a 10 year old child would have known Civil War veterans, most likely some from her family. Decoration Day was a day set aside to honor the fallen of the Union Army and later the Confederate Fallen were included, but on a different date originally.
Then came the Great War to "Save the world for Democracy". We included the fallen of "Flanders Fields" and we wore paper Poppys sold by Veteran organizations.
World War Two and the tragic losses of that war were included in the remembrances.
Now, there have been far too many wars where we are given the chance to honor those who "have fallen" and died in far off places with strange sounding names.
We remember them, in whatever way we choose to spend the day.
Is it too much to hope that someday (sooner than later) we will no longer suffer the anguish and grief of the loss of our young men and women who have been killed for sometimes obscure and irrational reasons?
I will remember the members of my own family who died in battle, and reflect and give thanks to the memory of those who gave their lives to protect our land from invasion and occupation. My American flag flies at my front porch, in itself not precious, but representing a valuable symbol for which I have deep respect.
I trust and hope you too have the chance to reflect about the value of this day and it's many layered meanings. I'm sure you will, and hope you can be involved in ceremonies I won't be able to attend.
It's good to be an American. We are blessed.