Memorial Day 2024

Once called Decoration Day just after the Civil War, the day became Memorial Day, in the 1960s. It became official: after all the Civil War veterans were gone.

It was originally slated for the 30th of May as there were no actual battles fought on that day and it was a time of year when many flowers would be available to decorate the graves of the fallen.. As we know it was moved to the last Monday in May so as to provide a three day weekend. 

It is always a little odd for me as I am not sure just how I feel about that. I get the idea but it does seem that the original purpose, to honor our war dead has been usurped by the pool openings, cook outs and the "official state of summer."

 

There has been a more recent effort (2000) to get people to take a single minute, usually at 3 pm, to remember, Called "The National Moment of Remembrance."

Another interesting fact is that the flag is flown at half mast until noon on Memorial Day and then raised to its full height for the remainder of the day. This is the only day of the year that this happens.

It is always interesting to hear how people speak to each other on the most solemn of days. You actually hear some folks, certainly with good intent, says things like "happy memorial Day!" A more appropriate greeting might be along the lines of "Enjoy the holiday, but I will be remembering and honoring those who gave their all for our country."

I've also read that some folks like to say "thank you for your service " to veterans on this day, but I have read research that says that most vets do not like this and that what many hear is something along the lines of "I'm glad you went (to war), so that I didn't have to!"

So, as I say every year, have your cook outs, pool openings etc, but, please take that moment to remember those who cannot celebrate, but instead gave their lives for our country, over 600,000 from WWI onward. If you happen to be in DC this weekend, check out the 600,000 Poppy wall near the Vietnam memorial.

We will return to visiting Vietnam memorials after the "holiday." Join me in Arizona, as always at 9:00 am on June 1.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, Tony from Texas, Mike from Maryland, Ron and Molly from Florida have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to all who have contributed.

Wisconsin XIX

Once more on this trip to Wisconsin I will share a couple more photos, from Joan, of the traveling memorial to those lost in 'Nam. 

These heroes during this month of Memorial Day should serve to remind us all of the sacrifices made by the few who serve their country and the , fewer still, to whom we owe the greatest debt. 

To whom we owe our freedom.

 

 

Next time, on the 27th, we will honor all who have made the ultimate sacrifice and to whose everlasting honor this site was created.

To see additional memorials from Wisconsin, or any other state, please click on a state name on the left side of this page.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you, like Joan from Wisconsin, have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here. Thanks, once again, to Joan.

Veterans Day 2023

Every year at Veterans Day I try to think of something new to mark the occasion.

It is well known at least among those who have served that Veterans Day started as a remembrance of the signing of the treaties that ended WWI and was known as Armistice Day. Later the name was changed to include and honor all who have served.

This is an important distinction. Far too many people confuse Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Veterans Day honors all, those who gave some.

Memorial Day honors those lost: those who gave all.

 See more here:

Veterans Day 2023: Founding, Fact & Meaning

 

 

Each year a competition is held to choose a representative poster, this is the 2023 winner.

So, this year, if you have the day off or even if you do not, take just a moment to remember the Vets who have served this country for you and be grateful for their sacrifices.

Next time, on the 16th, we will revisit New Mexico, so meet me there, as usual, at 9:00 am.

To see additional Vietnam memorials from any state, please click a state name from the list on the left side of this page.

If you are following along at all, you will have seen that a number of you have responded to my request to send me memorials you have seen in your area or where you may have traveled. These submissions help expand the knowledge of how we have remembered the men and women who served or were lost in 'Nam and you help to honor them. If you have any such photos, I would love to see them. Please send them along to the email at the left and I will gladly share them here.

Memorial Day 2023

Commemorating those lost in battle can be traced to 361 BC. in Greece following the Pelopennesian Wars.

Here in America what later became Memorial Day began just after the Civil War, was expanded to include all soldiers lost after WWI and didn't become a national holiday until nearly the end of the Vietnam war. (1971)

When I was a boy, people handed out poppies to commemorate the dead, due in large part to the following poem. Written be a surgeon during WWI, the poem came to speak for so many.

I include it here, for you today.

 

 In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 

Between the crosses, row on row,     

That mark our place; and in the sky     

The larks, still bravely singing, 

fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. 

Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,     

Loved and were loved, 

and now we lie,         

In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw     

The torch; be yours to hold it high.    

If ye break faith with us who die 

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow         

In Flanders fields.

There is a hill just opposite my home that is covered with poppies each spring, I never fail to think of the lost each time I drive by it.

Remember, today at 3pm, to take on minute to honor those who were lost in our wars.

Next time, on the 3rd, we will return to Texas, so join me there, as always at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state, please click on a state name on the left side of this page. 

I will ask, as I do at the end of nearly every post now, for anyone who has pictures of Vietnam memorials not seen here to please send them to me. I will give you full photo credit for the pic and any information about it you may know. Check your state, or anywhere you may have visited, from the list at the left, or any place else. Please send them to the email at the left or directly to me at Ldddad@comcast.net. Thanks.

Arizona XXX

So, today we have another of my dilemmas that I hope you can help me figure out.

I was, as so often now, looking through files and ran across this picture. My notes say that I have worked on it in the past, but I can find nothing that tells me just where it is located. Except for the fact that the file it was in is labeled Arizona.

So, if you can, help me out here. Anyone from Arizona know this memorial?

I had planned to write about something else today but this caught my attention and i would really like to know more about it. I searched all relevant files and can not find any other matching or even similar pictures.

So, come on AZ help me out!

Hope I hear from someone, you have so often come through in the past.

Next time, on the 8th, we will take another trip to California, so join me there at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Arizona, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Memorial Day 2022

This weekend, as we gather with friends and family to celebrate Memorial Day, let us not forget the reason. Memorial Day began after the Civil War, as Decoration Day, and has gone through a number of changes over the years. What does not change is the devastating price paid by the few for so many. I found this sign in Heck Park in Monroe County, Michigan. I have written about the Park in previous posts, but I wanted to post this image on this day, May 29. Tomorrow is the original Memorial Day and even though we celebrate it, now, on the last Monday in May, May 30 will always be the "real" memorial day for many of us. This year, 2022, we happen to have the dates sync up correctly. The sign is old enough that nothing after Vietnam has been included, but it still delivers a sobering message even if the years of our involvement in 'nam are off by nearly 10.

Take a minute today to remember and read a fascinating history of Memorial Day at;

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html  

Also, it seems that Rolling to Remember (formerly Rolling Thunder) is alive and well and making a strong comeback in D.C. this weekend.

I just read that, now, 40 years after it was built, the The Wall is still the number 1 tourist attraction in Washington DC  visited by five million people a year.

Welcome brothers and sisters!

Next time, on the 3rd of June, we will revisit Arizona, so join me then at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials, from any state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

New York XXVII

Once again I find myself in a quandary. I have asked my readers to send me pics of sites not seen on A Means to Heal, and some of you have done so (thank you again). I am still interested in anything you might have!

My friend Mike Minnick who has so unselfishly shared his pics in the past sent me the ones that follow. They are from Berne, New York, but that is all I know. I have searched and searched the internet, but as is so often happens, I cannot find a single word about them.

As always, I appeal to you: please contact me if you know any information, there is an email on the left side of this page.

Obviously, they are from what is called a multi-war memorial, but it, also, seems that there is a statue, perhaps of a fireman.

This particular type of memorial, in case you have not been here before, is called a Field Cross. Its origins date back to the Civil War and was a way for soldiers to mark where a comrade was lost. It is interesting sometimes to visit memorial sites and note the subtle changes in these markers through the years. It becomes quite natural to be able to tell what war a soldier was lost in by the type of boots, rifle or helmet that is depicted.

As stated this is a multi-war memorial and the names inscribed upon the bricks honor so many, from so many wars and service.

This small sample represents and honors those listed, and those not, for their willingness to serve their fellow man.

Next time, on the 19th, we will revisit North Carolina, so meet me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from New York, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Memorial Day 2021

Once again we pause to remember all those who have given everything for our country.

Armed Forces Memorial, Hawai'i'
 

Some of our excursions into the politics and the soil of other countries have been more popular than others, but no one disputes the sacrifice made by so many.

 

Lincoln, Nebraska 

 

In doing some research for this post it has been shocking to see just how many involvements we have been in over our history. we all know the big ones, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American, WW1, WW2, Korea, Nam, Middle East, GWOT, but the number of what must be called lesser known is astounding. You can see a list of them taken from Wikipedia here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war

Check it out you just might be amazed.

It is estimated that nearly 1.4 million Americans have been lost in these efforts and today we remember them all.

                                                Virginia Beach, Virginia 

This effort of mine, now spanning 12 years, has been an attempt to honor those lost in Nam and this seems like an appropriate place to say that many of you, over the years have asked ,"Have you done a book?" or "Are you planning to do a book?" and the answer is yes.

In fact, the original plan for A Means to Heal was to be just a book, not a web site, but many advised that it would be wise to have an online presence first. Well, after some hesitation, I decided to give it a shot and over time this online effort eclipsed the book project. That has finally been remedied and the print version of A Means to Heal is available. If interested, please contact your local book store and see if they have it. If not, ask then to get it for you. I've been told that if you do that, they will order extra copies for their shelves. Short of that, you can also get it from Amazon.

So, as you observe Memorial Day take a moment to remember why it exists, what it means, and how many were lost. It is not just about BBQ and beer.

R.I.P. to our brothers and sisters of every era.

Next time, on the 4th of June, we will return to New York, so join me there, as usual, at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials from any state, please click on the state name on the left side of Thia page.

Memorial Day 2019

I had planned to move on to Massachusetts today, but over the Memorial Day weekend I discovered something in my own community of which I had been unaware.

The Rotary Club in nearby Gaithersburg sponsors a display of 750 American flags on the lawn of Bohrer Park. I learned of it at the VA's Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) when I arrived for an appointment. The receptionist were discussing how beautiful it was and how very much they liked it.

I drove down and discovered that the Rotary with the help of some Boy Scouts, were still in the process of setting up and attaching tags to the individual flags.

The flags may be dedicated to anyone the donor considers a "hero" and I saw tags naming local community activists, solders living and not, including living and lost from Vietnam, and many others that were not specifically stated, listing only a name of a "hero" and the name of the person honoring them.

This is one of Rotary's largest fund raisers and as you may know Rotary is dedicated to the well being of children, families, and communities, so it seems like a good thing to me.

 Next time, on June 4th, we will revisit Massachusetts, so, join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see other Vietnam Memorials from around the country, please click upon a state name on the left side of this page.

Memorial Day, 2018

This is a re-post of a previous Memorial Day thought. I have found nothing that better sums up my feelings about Memorial Day. It seems even more poignant so close to the dedication of the Montgomery County Vietnam Veterans memorial last Monday.

I will add that this year, 2018, no new names were added to The Wall, but 17 had their status changed from MIA to KIA. Is it too early to hope that the last name has been added?

I received this from Betsy Luecking of Montgomery County Veterans Affairs Committee, who forwarded it from past Secretary Chow of the Maryland Veterans Affairs Office. It is not original, some parts are more powerful than others and it has been around a while, but the sentiments are spot on.

Stop Saying "HAPPY Memorial Day"

By Jeff Seeber

I hope I live long enough to be able to get through the month of May just once without some moron sending me a Happy Memorial Day e-mail or hearing some idiot wishing people a Happy Memorial Day.

It's bad enough I'm reminded every May and every November that very few Americans know the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but expecting me to remain silent about the growing trend to turn Memorial Day into some sort of celebration is asking too much. I usually chagrin and bear it, but I'm getting too old to care who I piss off from one day to the next, so if you're one of those fools who sends me a Happy Memorial Day e-mail or wishes people a Happy Memorial Day, listen up!

There is nothing Happy about Memorial Day. That's why it's called M-e-m-o-r-i-a-l Day! Memorial Day is to be commemorated, not celebrated. Memorial Day is supposed to be a day of quiet reflection, remembrance, tribute and rendering honors to those who have given their lives ensuring you nitwits can have the freedom to be able to take full advantage of the rights their deaths secured for you, one of which is the freedom to make ignorant statements like Happy Memorial Day.

Believe it or not, Memorial Day was not placed on calendars to remind you that summer has officially begun. Memorial Day is not the first day of Get Drunk While Pretending To Be An Outdoorsman At Your Cabin season. Memorial Day was not created by General Motors so their dealerships could have a Three-Day Used Car Clearance Blowout. Memorial Day is not intended to be the first day of National Burn That Burger Month.

Memorial Day is supposed to be commemorated on May 30th ... not May 28th, May 29th or May 31st. It makes no difference what day of the week the 30th falls, that's when Memorial Day is supposed to be observed. However, the United States Congress changed the date in 1971 to the last Monday in May to give Americans yet another 3-day weekend. After all, what's more important ... one-hundred-plus years of American tradition or giving Americans one more 3-day weekend to have a few brewskis while driving to see Yellowstone with the wife and kids?

The National Moment of Remembrance was started to encourage all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. Of course, it's been a dismal failure. I mean, c'mon, you expect Americans to pause for an ENTIRE MINUTE to remember those who died serving the people who are too busy to pause for ONE ENTIRE MINUTE? Are you nuts?

It's bad enough American Civics is no longer taught in American schools. It's bad enough most Americans ignore Armed Forces Day. It's bad enough that very few civilians know that May is National Military Family Appreciation Month. It's bad enough few Americans understand that Veterans Day is now intended to honor all those who have worn a uniform serving in this nation's Military, especially those still living. But it's pitiful that most Americans can't seem to comprehend that Memorial Day is the one day a year when we are asked to remember those who gave their lives for this country.

Let me repeat that ... they gave their LIVES. Most of them were teenagers or in their twenties. Many of them left behind a spouse after being married for a very short period of time. Some of them left behind infant children who grew up never knowing one of the two people who brought them into this world with the good fortune of being born a free person. All of them had plans for a full and long life, but they interrupted those plans because they knew that serving their country, and the risks that commitment entails, was more important than life itself.

Their dreams and their expectations ended suddenly on a battlefield in some foreign land, or in a training accident at home or abroad, or during a secret mission to ensure this country is not attacked without warning. Some of them are buried in unmarked graves on foreign soil or rest forever in the sea. Some became missing in the fog of war and will never be accounted for.

Is it too much to ask that Americans pause for one day every year to recognize those who gave the last full measure of devotion? Are we as a nation so selfish, so lazy, so ignorant of the reality of the price of freedom, that we can't set aside even one day to acknowledge the sacrifice of each and every one of our honorable dead? Apparently it is too much to ask. Apparently expecting Americans to relinquish even one day of basking in the sun while swilling beer is too much of an imposition. Let's face it, most Americans prefer a Happy Memorial Day.

For those of us who served, and for the families and friends of those who gave their lives, Memorial Day will always be the one day a year when we publicly honor our buddies, our brothers, our sisters, our sons, our daughters, our fathers, our mothers, our nieces and nephews, our cousins ... all those who perished, their young lives cut short, while serving America ... while fighting next to us ... while protecting you. The rest of the year, we remember them in private. We remember them daily. We will never forget them.

To simplify all of this:

Armed forces Day, the third Saturday of May and it honors those serving.

Memorial Day, Last Monday in May and it honors those that died while serving

Veterans Day, November 11 and it honors those who served.

Just a little more from the more recent wars;

WWI                                                  116,516
WWII                                                 405,399
Vietnam                                                58,318*
Gulf War                                                   294                                
OEF                                                         2229                               
OIF                                                          4480                            
Total                                                    558,233    

These numbers are ever evolving and will most certainly change as time goes by.

1775-Present                                    1,254,667 
                                     
So, as always, enjoy whatever it is that you do to mark Memorial Day, but please take a moment, at least, to remember why we honor this day. 

* Three names were added to The Wall in May 2017 bringing the total to 58,318.

Come back on the 3rd for the promised revisit to Alabama, as always at 9:00am.

To see Vietnam memorials, from any state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page

Memorial Day 2016

Update

I have spent this Memorial Day weekend at the Marine Museum in Quantico, Va honoring the visit of Take Me Home Huey, a remarkable project of restoration and healing. I hope by the next post, the 4th of June, to have a very special post prepared. Be watching for it.

In the meantime you can find them on Facebook and Google+ or at their own site.

http://takemehomehuey.org

 Back to our regularly scheduled post.

I received this from Betsy Luecking of Montgomery County Veterans Affairs Committee, who forwarded it from Secretary Chow of the Maryland Veterans Affairs Office. It is not original, some parts are more powerful than others and it has been around a while, but the sentiments are spot on.

Stop Saying "HAPPY Memorial Day"

By Jeff Seeber

I hope I live long enough to be able to get through the month of May just once without some moron sending me a Happy Memorial Day e-mail or hearing some idiot wishing people a Happy Memorial Day.

It's bad enough I'm reminded every May and every November that very few Americans know the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but expecting me to remain silent about the growing trend to turn Memorial Day into some sort of celebration is asking too much. I usually chagrin and bear it, but I'm getting too old to care who I piss off from one day to the next, so if you're one of those fools who sends me a Happy Memorial Day e-mail or wishes people a Happy Memorial Day, listen up!

There is nothing Happy about Memorial Day. That's why it's called M-e-m-o-r-i-a-l Day! Memorial Day is to be commemorated, not celebrated. Memorial Day is supposed to be a day of quiet reflection, remembrance, tribute and rendering honors to those who have given their lives ensuring you nitwits can have the freedom to be able to take full advantage of the rights their deaths secured for you, one of which is the freedom to make ignorant statements like Happy Memorial Day.

Believe it or not, Memorial Day was not placed on calendars to remind you that summer has officially begun. Memorial Day is not the first day of Get Drunk While Pretending To Be An Outdoorsman At Your Cabin season. Memorial Day was not created by General Motors so their dealerships could have a Three-Day Used Car Clearance Blowout. Memorial Day is not intended to be the first day of National Burn That Burger Month.

Memorial Day is supposed to be commemorated on May 30th ... not May 28th, May 29th or May 31st. It makes no difference what day of the week the 30th falls, that's when Memorial Day is supposed to be observed. However, the United States Congress changed the date in 1971 to the last Monday in May to give Americans yet another 3-day weekend. After all, what's more important ... one-hundred-plus years of American tradition or giving Americans one more 3-day weekend to have a few brewskis while driving to see Yellowstone with the wife and kids?

The National Moment of Remembrance was started to encourage all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. Of course, it's been a dismal failure. I mean, c'mon, you expect Americans to pause for an ENTIRE MINUTE to remember those who died serving the people who are too busy to pause for ONE ENTIRE MINUTE? Are you nuts?

It's bad enough American Civics is no longer taught in American schools. It's bad enough most Americans ignore Armed Forces Day. It's bad enough that very few civilians know that May is National Military Family Appreciation Month. It's bad enough few Americans understand that Veterans Day is now intended to honor all those who have worn a uniform serving in this nation's Military, especially those still living. But it's pitiful that most Americans can't seem to comprehend that Memorial Day is the one day a year when we are asked to remember those who gave their lives for this country.

Let me repeat that ... they gave their LIVES. Most of them were teenagers or in their twenties. Many of them left behind a spouse after being married for a very short period of time. Some of them left behind infant children who grew up never knowing one of the two people who brought them into this world with the good fortune of being born a free person. All of them had plans for a full and long life, but they interrupted those plans because they knew that serving their country, and the risks that commitment entails, was more important than life itself.

Their dreams and their expectations ended suddenly on a battlefield in some foreign land, or in a training accident at home or abroad, or during a secret mission to ensure this country is not attacked without warning. Some of them are buried in unmarked graves on foreign soil or rest forever in the sea. Some became missing in the fog of war and will never be accounted for.

Is it too much to ask that Americans pause for one day every year to recognize those who gave the last full measure of devotion? Are we as a nation so selfish, so lazy, so ignorant of the reality of the price of freedom, that we can't set aside even one day to acknowledge the sacrifice of each and every one of our honorable dead? Apparently it is too much to ask. Apparently expecting Americans to relinquish even one day of basking in the sun while swilling beer is too much of an imposition. Let's face it, most Americans prefer a Happy Memorial Day.

For those of us who served, and for the families and friends of those who gave their lives, Memorial Day will always be the one day a year when we publicly honor our buddies, our brothers, our sisters, our sons, our daughters, our fathers, our mothers, our nieces and nephews, our cousins ... all those who perished, their young lives cut short, while serving America ... while fighting next to us ... while protecting you. The rest of the year, we remember them in private. We remember them daily. We will never forget them.

To simplify all of this:

Armed forces Day, the third Saturday of May and it honors those serving.

Memorial Day, Last Monday in May and it honors those that died while serving

Veterans Day, November 11 and it honors those who served.

Just a little more from the more recent wars;

WWI                                                  116,516
WWII                                                 405,399
Vietnam                                                 58,315*
Gulf War                                                    294                                
OEF                                                        2229                               
OIF                                                         4480                            
Total                                                     558,233    ( This number is not complete and will continue to grow as new names are added to The Wall and other lists.)

1775-Present                                1,254,664  
                                    
* Eight names were added to The Wall in May 2016 bringing the total to 58,315.

Next time, on June 4th, check back to see some great pics of Take Me Home Huey and learn some of this remarkable story. See you at 9:00am.

To visit memorials in any state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

Arlington National Cemetery

I know that I promised to post from Nebraska this time, but I had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery this week and thought that I would  extend the Memorial Day posting. I will get back on track with Nebraska, next time.

While wandering through Arlington, I came across these next two scenes and, simply, liked them. The peace and beauty of this place can be beyond description.

This is the Air force Memorial. It is a depiction of the Missing Man Formation which famously honors flyers who have been lost.

This view is nearby and struck me because the rows and rows of markers are so often in straight, military lines. the curves of these seemed particularly beautiful.

I  had hoped to find every stone honored with a flag. These are placed every year in honor of Memorial Day. However, even though I was there with in a day or two, they were completely gone. Except of this one, I don't know if it was missed in the pick-up or was placed after the pick-up by a loved one.

The surprise of the day (there always is one) was finding, standing among individual markers from WWI and WWII, these markers. They honor the crews of lost aircraft from the Vietnam War. In general they contain the remains of those who were lost but were unable to be individually identified. There are exceptions, we found at least one grave marked to one of the individuals listed in the group. This seems completely appropriate. If one can be identified then they should be entombed in their own site, but also honored on the larger marked with their lost comrades.

I think the war is often thought of being fought primarily by the Army and the Marines and it is good to remember that all the services participated and lost members. The two above markers are to Navy and Air  Force flyers. Just by chance both of these were lost in Laos, a place that for many years, we denied being.

So, that will do it for Memorial Day for this year, as promised last time, we will move on to Nebraska on the 4th of June, as usual at 9:00am. Join me then.

To see other memorials from any state, click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Memorial Day 2015

Most years, I write about the history and significance of Memorial Day. this year, I would like to do something just a little different.

On May 8th, 2015, the 70th anniversary of V.E. (Victory in Europe) Day was commemorated in Washington D.C. with a fly over of historic airplanes. More than 50 of these classic aircraft flew down the Potomac river, banked left near The Mall and flew towards the Capitol building.

Now, I know that this site is dedicated to Vietnam Memorials, but I think that on Memorial Day it is fitting to remember all. In addition, at least one of these aircraft also served in Vietnam, so if you need a connection, there it is.

These are not authentic WWI planes but they sure do recall those first used in combat. these are actually trainers and are of the same type George H.W. Bush trained in to fly in WWII.

This is FiFi, the only still flying B-29 left. There is another being restored but iis not yet ready to fly. someday we may be able to see them fly together.

 

This is an A-26 which flew not only in WWII but also Vietnam.

 

 To cover a few more bases, I am including this pic from Antietam. It was after the Civil War the what we now call Memorial Day was started.

This is a portion of the Antietam Cemetery but the hero that lies here was actually lost in the attack on the U.S.S. Cole. He was greatly loved and is dearly missed.

The Korean War Memorial

Arlington National Cemetery

And, the final pic for Memorial Day.

I have tried to cover those who must be remembered. I have not intentionally left anyone out, I don't have, for example, pics of the Spanish American War memorials, but those too are remembered here, today.

Don't forget to Remember!

Next time, on the 30th, we will check in again in Nebraska. Join me there at 9:00am.

To see other Vietnam Memorials, from any state, click the state name on the left side of this page.

Memorial Day 2014

Today is not Memorial Day, but then, neither is the day we observe it on, either. Some years ago it was decided to move the observance to the last Monday in May. Originally, it was scheduled for the 30th of May. I copied the following, verbatim, from the Department of Veteran's Affairs, so all credit goes to them. I hope they do not mind my spreading the story.

Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N. M.

Memorial Day History

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
Local Observances Claim To Be First Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.
Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.
Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.
By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.
It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.
Some States Have Confederate Observances Many Southern states also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.
Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of springtime” urged: “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
The crowd attending the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was approximately the same size as those that attend today’s observance, about 5,000 people. Then, as now, small American flags were placed on each grave — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.
The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”
To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

So, whenever, or however,  you observe, please take the moment requested, at 3pm to honor those lost.

Next time, we will return to the regular schedule of posts of Vietnam memorials. On the 29th , we will go, once again, to Florida, so join me then, at 9:00am.

Memorial Day 2010

Today, as we gather with friends and family to celebrate Memorial Day, let us not forget the reason. Memorial Day began after the Civil War, as Decoration Day, and has gone through a number of changes over the years. What does not change is the devastating price paid by so many. I found this sign in Heck Park in Monroe County, Michigan. I have written about the Park in previous posts, but I wanted to post this image on this day, May 30. Today is the original Memorial Day and even though we celebrate it, now, on the last Monday in May, May 30 will always be the "real" memorial day for many of us. The sign is old enough that nothing after Vietnam has been included, but it still delivers a sobering message.

Take a minute today to remember and read a fascinating history of Memorial Day at;

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html