I Love This

This is the touching declaration from General John A. Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, given shortly after the end of the Civil War, proclaiming May 30th as Decoration Day (now known as Memorial Day).

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No. 11, Washington, D.C. May 5, 1868

i. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this obervance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together those soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to supress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and it's foes? Their soldier lives were the revielle of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellios tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivded republic.

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

ii. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Cheif to inagurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend it's freindly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

iii. Department Commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.

By order of
JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Cheif

N.P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant General

Official:
WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.

Source

Prayer For Peace Memorial Day

Every year since 1948, Congress has requested each current President of the United States of America to issue a Presidential Proclamation calling on the citizen's of the United States to observe Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace in honor of the men and women who, over the past 200 plus years since our country was founded, have given their lives in defense of our country and the defense of freedom. Congress also designated (by Public Law 106 579) 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day
as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, The National Moment of Remembrance (of our fallen heroes).

President Barack Obama has issued a proclamation for Memorial Day 2011, as a day of prayer for permanent peace. He has asked that we as Americans unite in prayer at 11:00 a.m. local time. He is also asking that we observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. We are also asked to fly our flags at half staff for the customary forenoon period.

Memorial Day~May 31

God and Memorial Day

I would like to make a statement conveying my personal opinion about the information in the articles I've posted regarding Memorial Day. But in order to do that I must first make a statement regarding religion.

I consider myself to be a religious person, I am a Christian and love Jesus Christ with all of my heart. But, as I may occasionally make a comment according to my beliefs, I do not intend to use this blog as a forum for religious discussion.

Religion is a very personal, deep felt, sensitive topic to most people and thus I will rarely write a feature post about the various religious observances, since I do not know enough about the various religions and do not wish to offend anyone by posting incorrect information.

When it comes to religion I believe that each individual has a right to believe and practice whatever religion they would like, as long as they do not abuse: physically, mentally, emotionally, or in any way another human being or animal in the practice of their religious beliefs. I do not believe in pushing my religious views on others or in trying to make them feel bad if they do not believe the way I do.

With that said...

A Personal Opinion Regarding Memorial Day
In doing research about Memorial Day I found that many cities, states and individuals are credited as the originators of the creation of Memorial Day (Decoration Day). I believe that each story is true and that each person/place played a part in the creation of this observance.

My personal belief is that God gives mankind ideas, whether he puts them out into the atmosphere and waits for them to light on whom they will, or whether he gives the ideas to specific individuals' minds, I don't know. But I believe that he gives many people an idea and waits to see who will do what with that idea.

I like to think that the creation of Memorial Day was so important to our Heavenly Father that he planted seeds into the minds of many heartfelt people of the time, knowing that enough of them would cultivate and foster the idea until it grew into fruition. After all the research I have done, Memorial Day has become more important to me, and I now hold a tender respect in my heart for all the people who participated in it's creation and for all the noble men and women, throughout time, who have given the ultimate sacrifice for God, for Country, and for their fellowman.

Julia Pierpont Day

Julia Pierpont Day is a holiday proclaimed by West Virginia in 2005 as a day to honor Julia Pierpont as the originator of "Decoration Day", now known as Memorial Day. It is celebrated the Saturday before Memorial Day.

Historians agree that Memorial Day originated during the time of the Civil War. Although there are many differing stories as to the exact origin of Memorial Day *, many historians believe that Julia Pierpont was the originator of what was then called "Decoration Day".

Julia Pierpont was the wife of the Governor of Restored Virginia, Francis H. Pierpont of Fairmont, (West) Virgina, also recognized as "The Father of West Virginia".

The story is told that while living in the Governor's Mansion in Richmond Virgina in 1866, Julia Pierpont felt that the graves of Union Soldiers buried in Hollywood Cemetery, overlooking Richmond, were looking shabby and neglected. She and a Miss Woolsey, a New Yorker teaching in the school for African American children, decided to decorate and beautify the graves. They, along with the Pierpont children, the children from the African American school, and many friends gathered together and "paraded" to the cemetery to bravely decorate the graves.

When people throughout the state heard of this event it was met with both approval and condemnation. A few weeks later, thousands from throughout the State of Virginia joined in another Decoration Day by giving speeches and decorating the graves of Confederate Soldiers. News of this event spread throughout the nation and more Decoration Day events followed.

Julia Pierpont is credited for inspiring the nation. Many historians feel that her first observance of Decoration Day spurred on many more such observances and culminated in General John A. Logan, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, ordering May 30 as an annual national "Decoration Day" on May 5, 1868.

Each year, the Saturday before Memorial Day is dedicated as a day to pay tribute to Julia Pierpont by readying veterans' graves for Memorial Day.

* See also "The History and Origin of Memorial Day in Waterloo, New York".

Sources:
marionhistorical.org
answers.com

Looking Forward to Memorial Day~Part 3

The following is an excerpt taken from usmemorialday.org:

"In 1915 inspired by the poem "In Flanders Field" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae M.D., Moina Michael replied with her own poem.

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madame Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The league disbanded a year later and Madame Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy Program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the U.S. Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it."

If you go to marthastewart.com you can find a video tutorial showing how to make these pretty paper poppies. They're kind of huge so I think when I make them I'm going to shrink the pattern to 75 or 50 percent.

Image: Red Poppy & Purple Sage (Красно-фиолетово)

Originally uploaded by Kate Yasnaya

Looking Forward to Memorial Day~Part 2

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Please take a minute to read his touching declaration, General Order No. 11, you may never think of Memorial Day in the same way again.

Traditional Memorial Day Observance
The original date of May 30 was chosen as the date to celebrate Memorial Day for two reasons; the first was because May 30 was a day recorded as having no Civil War battles, and the second reason was because flowers would be in full bloom, for decorating graves, by this time in May.

As you may recall, on June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, now celebrated as President's Day; Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from it's traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. (In 1978 Veteran's Day was returned to it's traditional date of November 11, and most corporate businesses no longer close on Veteran's Day).

Many people feel that Memorial Day should be changed back to it's traditional date of May 30, because of the significance of why that date was chosen in the first place. It is the feeling that, with it being in a three-day weekend,  a majority of the people view Memorial Day as just another day to play. They have forgotten the meaning behind the day.

"Traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemetery's, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored and neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country." (usmemorialday.org)

Memorial Day Observance
How can we best honor those men and women who have given their lives in service to our country this Memorial Day, Monday, May 31?

• By visiting cemetery's and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
• By visiting Memorials.
• By flying the U.S. flag at half-staff until noon.
• By flying the 'POW/MIA flag' as well.
• By participating in a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3 p.m. (local time) to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
• By renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

Sources:

Wikipedia

usmemorialday.org

Picture: Photobucket juliadon

Looking Forward to Memorial Day~Part 1

Memorial Day is one of eleven United States federal holidays and is celebrated the last Monday in May each year. It will be celebrated on May 31, 2010.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to commemorate and honor U.S. men and women who have died in military service. It was originally called Decoration Day because it is a day to decorate and care for the graves of fallen soldiers. Memorial Day was first enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War and was expanded after World War I.

The Origin of Memorial Day
When the Civil War ended, many towns and communities set aside a day of their choosing to mark the end of the war and to remember those who had died. Thus many towns and cities claim to have been the first to enact Memorial Day.

According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first Memorial Day was observed by formerly enslaved black people at the Washington Race Course in Charleston, South Carolina. The race course had been used as a temporary confederate prison camp in 1865 as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died there. Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, formerly enslaved people exhumed the bodies from the mass grave and reinterred them properly with individual graves. They built a fence around the graveyard with an entry arch and declared it a Union graveyard. The work was completed in only ten days. On May 1, 1865, the Charleston newspaper reported that a crowd of up to ten thousand, mainly black residents, including 2800 children, processed to the location for a celebration which included, sermons, singing and a picnic on the grounds, therefore creating the first Decoration Day. (Wikipedia)

Despite the various claims, in May,1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York as the official birthplace of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day Officially Proclaimed a Holiday
On May 5, 1868, Memorial Day (Decoration Day) was officially proclaimed a holiday by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the first official observance of Memorial Day was held on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. By 1890, Memorial Day 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).

The holiday was called Decoration Day until 1882, when people began to call it Memorial Day. The new name became increasingly more common after World War II but was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The change moved Memorial Day from it's traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May.

Sources:
wikipedia
usmemorialday.org
Image: Photobucket Jasons_Baby90