A Day Of Remembrance

Monday is Memorial Day. Originally called Decoration Day, it’s a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.

According to usmemorialday.org, it probably had many separate beginnings — spontaneous gathering of people to honor the Civil War dead in the 1860’s. ‘It is not important who was the very first,’ the site says, ‘what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.’

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‘Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.’

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Were the 1860s so long ago? Apparently not. 

Here’s an amazing video of a man that some of today’s Baby Boomers might have known.