Memorializing

A friend of mine put up an interesting post a few hours ago about the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Although I'm not sure she meant to, she basically scolded us as a nation that has mostly "blithely" (her word) accepted the day as just another holiday, usually while we regale each other with "Have a Happy Memorial Day" as we go on vacations, open swimming pools for the summer, or celebrate the day off with barbecues and baseball games.

I, for one, stand guilty as charged.

Her post came into sharp focus when she reminded us of the cost behind this day by listing the number of deaths Americans have suffered in each of its wars: 625,000 in the Civil War; 116,000 in World War I; 405,000 in World War II; 36,000 in Korea; 58,000 in Vietnam. If you added all the wars Americans have fought and died in, the total would clear 1,300,000 in the past 160 years or so. Probably higher.

Not to be forgotten is the pain and grief felt by surviving family members.

So, thanks to my friend, I enter this weekend with a clearer perspective.

The first Memorial Day wasn't even a Memorial Day. It was called Decoration Day back in 1868 when it was first observed nationally and it was created by Commander in Chief John Logan of the Grand Army of the Potomac as a way to honor the Union war dead from the Civil War, which had ended three years prior.

The holiday became official in 1873 in New York, and by 1890, every Union state had adopted it as an official holiday. 

At almost the same time, there was a Confederate Memorial Day as well, which first occurred in 1874.

Eventually, as the practice of honoring deceased military members grew across the country, the name "Decoration Day" was replaced by "Memorial Day" after World War II. "Memorial Day" became the official name of the holiday by Federal law in 1967 (interestingly, the Vietnam era). The next year, Memorial Day was moved from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May to provide us a three-day weekend. That action may have been the beginning of the fading of our collective memory as to the true meaning of Memorial Day. Now we can go to the beach for an extra day and still get paid for it.

And there's one more thing to consider: Memorial Day is not only a time to honor our fallen heroes, but it's also a time to reflect on the principles of freedom and democracy they fought – and died – to protect.

For us.