I thought today would be a great day to start the Patriot Sheepdog podcast.
What better way to start than to start by honoring the men and women who sacrificed it all for you and I, right?
How did Memorial Day Start?
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.
Maj. Gen. John Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30.
It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day.
There, a ceremony on May 5, 1966, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff.
It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national.
It was then we started celebrating Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.
To ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.
It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.
Sometimes there is a bit of confusion between the two.
Memorial Day honors military personnel who died in the service of their country. More specifically, it honors those who died in battle or as a result of wounds they sustained during battle.
Veterans Day, observed on November 11 every year, honors everyone who has served in the army regardless of whether they served during wartime or not.
Some folks also wonder how Patriot Day falls into this mix of holidays.
Patriot Day is observed on September 11 to commemorate the civilians that died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Memorial Day is a very special day.
In remembering the fallen, we also honor their loved ones: spouses, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and friends.
There really aren’t proper words, but we do live in gratitude each and every day for the precious gift that they have given to us.
So this Memorial Day please join us in remembering and saying thank you to those who gave their all for us.