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Monday, May 29. 2006
Memorial Day
Memorial Day, 2005, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery
When I was little I vaguely knew the holiday had something to do with “patriotism,” whatever that meant to a young mind. There was a parade that went down Oklahoma Ave on the Southside of Milwaukee and we could listen to the Indianapolis 500 on the radio. Our next-door neighbor, Bob “Old Man” Otto always worked in his yard or garage and had the race tuned in so I would sit in the backyard listening, wishing I could be there at the Brickyard.
The parade is gone, although Milwaukee has one parade that goes from Downtown to Veteran’s Park on the East Side. And the race is run on the Sunday before the holiday … oh yes, and the holiday was changed to accommodate business and moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May.
Changing the day isn’t such a bad thing; we still honor those who have given their “last full measure of devotion,” but for many Americans — too many, maybe — it’s a three-day weekend to park the RV close to a body of water and enjoy the blessings of summer. That’s what freedom means in this country, to some extent. The right to do with our time what we choose, not mandated to attend parades or memorial services. So, I’ll shelve the judgment, as much as can be expected, and continue on.
Memorial Day came into existence 140 years ago when the citizens of Waterloo, NY, decided to commemorate the Civil War dead with ceremonies at the local cemeteries. The idea came from the town druggist, Henry C. Welles. On May 5, 1865, the first observance of Memorial Day was held. At the time it was called “Decoration Day” because the citizens decorated the graves of the fallen soldiers with flowers, wreathes and flags.
The first official observance came two years later when General John A. Logan, the Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued “General Order Number 11” designating May 30 as Decoration Day.
Now, Waterloo, NY is officially recognized as the birthplace of Memorial Day. Should you ever visit, there is a Memorial Day museum on Main Street you might want to visit. For many years, the Southern States observed their own Confederate Memorial Days (each state had different days), since the original Memorial Day was meant to honor Union soldiers. Now we honor all our fallen military.
The name wasn’t officially changed to “Memorial Day” until 1967, although it came into widespread use right after World War II. In 1968 congress passed the “Uniform Holidays Bill” which changed four federal holidays from their original dates to various coinciding Mondays.
Several groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars have advocated changing back to the original date, May 30, expressing the belief that turning the holiday into a convenient three-day weekend diminished the meaning and purpose of the holiday. Every year, since 1999, Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii has introduced measures that would make that change.
Regardless, today there will be thousands of memorial services at the cemeteries and monuments around the Nation. Here in San Diego we will have several memorials. My intention will be to attend the service held at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on Point Loma, a site that overlooks both San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean. We will honor all those from every war and conflict, including the current battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan so we will always remember that sacrifice — real sacrifice — is borne by the few for the benefit of all.
So, should you share a bottle of wine today in commemoration of a loved one who served, don’t forget to spill a glassful for those who cannot be with us on this day.
Semper Fi.
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