Memorial Day significance eclipsed by weekend’s activities
By:Art Zander
Why Memorial Day?
As we glance over the calendar, we notice the month of May has an observed Memorial Day, May 29, and that May 30 is identified as the traditional Memorial Day. Why are two days designated as Memorial Day?
The traditional Memorial Day, May 30, was established in 1868 by Gen. John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Gen. Logan directed that this day be used for the purpose of decorating the graves of those who died in the defense of our country during the War between the States.
He charged at the inaugural Memorial Day that this memorial observation be repeated year after year in every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the country.
The observed Memorial Day was created to accommodate the merchants, politicians and citizens who wanted always to have a three-day weekend for Memorial Day. The traditional Memorial Day would only have a three-day weekend periodically.
As the observed Memorial Day approaches, newspapers are full of ads to lure citizens to the various sales conducted by the merchants. However, there are very few ads to inform the public where Memorial Day ceremonies are to be held.
Each municipality determines when the local observation of Memorial Day will be held. In some municipalities it will be on Saturday, some on Sunday and the others on Monday while the traditionalists still observe Memorial Day on May 30.
Thus there is no one day that is being observed as Memorial Day by all the residents of our great country.
Because of the differences of the date being used to observe Memorial Day, the importance and significance of this day has been lost. It has gotten to the point where many of our school children do not know why we have a Memorial Day.
We have a Memorial Day to honor the memory of our departed citizens who fought in the various wars in which the United States was involved.
These were individuals who were willing to die for the ideals of our country. Without their sacrifices, would we have the freedom and way of life that prevails?
A few deceased servicemen have memorials, schools, parks and public buildings named for them as an honor for their wartime sacrifices.
However, as Gen. Logan directed in his order to establish May 30 as a Memorial Day, all soldiers, sailors and marines who were lost in battle are to be honored on this day.
As a soldier in Korea, during 1952, I was impressed by how the Koreans honored our fallen comrades at a United Nations cemetery outside of Pusan, Korea.
Every day a group of individuals — men, women and children — would be at the cemetery to tend to the graves, replace flowers and maintain the grounds.
There was no pay for their work. They said they performed these tasks to honor and thank our fallen comrades for the supreme sacrifice they had made on their behalf.
With the coming of Memorial Day, many veterans will be selling Buddy Poppies to collect moneys to be used to assist our hospitalized veterans and the widows and orphans of veterans.
This is compliance with Gen. Logan’s 1868 charge, “Let us in this solemn presence renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us, a sacred charge upon a nation’s gratitude — the soldiers and sailors widows and orphans.”
I as a veteran will be selling Buddy Poppies and will be participating in a Memorial Day service to remember and honor our departed comrades.
I will be assisting in the placing of the American Flag at the graves of deceased servicemen and servicewomen at a local cemetery. These graves are the final resting place of those who served our country since the Revolutionary War.
This I do, not because I am a member of a veterans organization, but to honor my childhood pals, John, Fred and Joe, who lost their lives during World War II.
I do this to remember those, like my dad and uncles Fred and John, who survived the battles but have since passed away.
How will you observe Memorial Day? Will you find time to attend or participate in the ceremonies to honor our fallen comrades?
Arthur Zander is quartermaster of Hillsborough Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8371.