Memorial Day

As many of us take the last weekend in May to go out of town, party all weekend, enjoy a Monday off, we never really look into why the last Monday in May is so important.

Here is a brief history of Memorial Day or Decoration Day;  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. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.


I also did not know this about Memorial Day red poppies are to be worn in remembrance of those who were killed serving in the military, this was inspired by a poem written by Moina Michael:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on the fields where valor led,

It seems to signal into the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

So please take the time today to thank someone who currently serves/ served in the military and thank them for their service to our country, and take the time on Monday at 3pm for the National Moment of Remembrance.

I want to say a special Thank you to all of my friends and family that have served or are serving in the military:

• Joel Dulashanti
• Brandon Moe
• Adam Bates
• Ronnie Rackley
• Matt Campbell
• Matt Doxsey
• John McElwee
• Missy Briggs
• Steve Bettger
• Joel Geesaman
• Ashley Henderson 
• Ben Goodpaster 
• Taylor Prazynski

Sorry if I forgot anyone, but thank you again for all that you do for our country!