What’s the Word: Memorial Day has long history
As we all know, tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor the soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to obtain, secure and protect our freedom, and they are still making that sacrifice today. All across America there will be ceremonies to commemorate their efforts. And this is to our credit. Kudos to those who organize and participate in these events.
Most people do know what the day is about, though they may not participate in the organized events. And it’s true there has been some commercialization of the day.
Still, it seems in the midst of all the hoopla of the Memorial Day events and celebrations, people tend to forget the origins of this national holiday. That’s why it’s important to know a bit about the history of Memorial Day. And the fact is, that history is really pretty interesting, and not without controversy.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, Memorial Day had its origins in the aftermath of the Civil War. It started as an effort to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. There was an organization of Union veterans called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and three years after the war, on May 5, 1868, Maj. Gen. John A. Logan set aside May 30 to observe Decoration Day. The first large national observance was held that year in Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac from the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C.
However, though that celebration was the first major observance, there had already been springtime tributes to the Civil War dead in various places around the nation. One of the first documented celebrations was at Columbus, Miss. on April 25, 1866. There, a group of women visited a cemetery in order to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh, one of the most famous battles of the Civil War. While decorating the Confederate graves the women noticed the graves of Union soldiers nearby, which had been neglected because they were the enemy. Distressed by the sight of these bare graves the women decided to place some of their flowers on those graves too.
As the celebration evolved, other cities, in both the North and South, claimed to be the first to have formal celebrations in 1866. Macon and Columbus, Ga. claimed the title, as did Richmond, Va. The Village of Boalsburg, Pa. claimed it began there two years before. The wartime home of Gen. Logan, Carbondale, Ill., has a stone in a cemetery stating the first Decoration Day was held there on April 29, 1866.
In all, approximately 25 places have been mentioned in connection with the origin of Memorial Day. A century later in 1966, the federal government stepped in and settled the debate, legally at any rate, when then President Lyndon Johnson formally declared Waterloo, N.Y. the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. It was there on May 5, 1866 a ceremony honored local veterans who had served and fought in the Civil War. The city closed its businesses and residents flew their flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim noted that earlier observances were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.
In any case, by the end of the 19th century Memorial Day celebrations were being held on May 30 throughout the country. After World War I the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress.
So while we enjoy our day off work, it’s important to remember where and why this holiday was established — to honor our military dead and the freedoms we enjoy because of their sacrifice.
Charlie Johnson is newseditor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at newseditor@southernstandar.com.