Memorial Day Reflections

Lamont Kimberlin, Harbinger
Thursday, May 28, 2015

Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May each year. While many individuals throughout the country take part in the celebration, not all are aware of the true meaning or history behind the holiday.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memorial Day originates from Decoration Day. Decoration Day was created after the end of the Civil War in 1868 by Maj. Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic to honor and decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.

There were many localities in which citizens decorated the graves of soldiers before 1868, including Columbus, Mississippi. On April 25, 1866 local women from Columbus came together and decorated the graves of Confederate soldiers who perished in the conflict at Shiloh. Feeling unsettled by the sight of the abandoned graves of Union soldiers, the same women decorated their graves as well.

At the close of the 19th century, Memorial Day was typically celebrated throughout the country on May 30. After the First Great War, Memorial Day began to include fallen soldiers from all American wars.

With many cities claiming to be the “birthplace” of Memorial Day, an act of Congress and a signature from President Lyndon Johnson named Waterloo, N.Y. the “official birthplace” of Memorial Day in 1966.

In 1971, the celebration date of May 30 was changed to the last Monday in May, marking Memorial Day as a national holiday.

In the year 2000, “The National Moment of Remembrance Act” was established to inspire Americans to stop and reflect for a moment, specifically at 3:00 p.m., in order to honor the men and women who have given their lives throughout American history.

A more in depth history of Memorial Day can be found online at: http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp.