“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness come with a very high price — the lives of millions of Americans who gallantly fought for those cherished values,” said John F. Baker Jr., who served in the U.S. Army and received the Medal of Honor.
As folks point out every year, Memorial Day is much more than just an unofficial kickoff to the summer season.
Memorial Day — and it’s precursor, Decoration Day — has long been an opportunity to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country.
The first official Decoration Day, the precursor to Memorial Day, was established on May 5, 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
On that day, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) set the day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of its war dead with flowers, with it determined the day would be held on May 30.
A document from the VA further states, “It is believed the date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.”
On May 30, 1868, more than 5,000 gathered at Arlington National Cemetery.
“After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns,” the VA document states.
The day began to be called Memorial Day over the following decades, and grew to encompass veterans who died in all wars following World War I. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday.
This tradition continues to this day, and it continues with no less meaning.
As James A. Garfield (then a congressman from Ohio) said in a speech on May 30, 1868, at Arlington, “For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Whether you agree with what’s happening in our country at any given time or not, one fact is clear — men and women gave their lives for our right to express those opinions and to offer suggestions for how to be a better country.
As Medal of Honor recipient Harold A. Fritz, who served in the U.S. Army, said, “America — love it or leave it. Many have died to protect it.”
And that sacrifice should be honored.
On Monday morning at 10 a.m., veterans, their family members and other community members will gather at Hilltop Cemetery to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country, as well as those who served in our country’s military who have passed away in the last year.
We hope to see you there to take part in this enduring tradition.
Randi Pierce
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