On Memorial Day, remember the fallen
The greatest gift offered to mankind is memories, not unlike the passing pages of time flowing on with all the brilliance of a spring flower, each blossom doomed to fade with the fleeting passing of the seasons.
The proclamation of Memorial Day, with the raising of our nation’s flag to its maximum height before lowering it back to half-mast, brings the lonesome call of a bugle sounding “Taps,” a requiem, man’s feeble attempt to honor those comrades whose allotted time for love and living expired too soon. The day is our humble acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by those who laid the foundations of our nation’s values as proclaimed within our Constitution in its Bill of Rights.
Memorial Day, as authorized by our congressional leaders and by presidential decree, takes place on the last Monday of May – a yearly event to honor those who lost their lives that we may today live free.
While every civilization has attempted to recognize its fallen warriors, the citizens of the United States of America generally agree that this somber day became officially established following Lincoln’s Gettysburg address in 1863 that mourned the fallen warriors in blue and gray. Some argue Memorial Day was proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by Gen. John Logan as Decoration Day when flowers were used to decorate the family graves. This day is not to be confused with Poppy Day, which was based on the fields of poppies found on the battle grounds (Flanders Fields) of the First World War, nor to be confused with Veterans Day, designated to honor all who have worn this nation’s uniform.
Memorial Day recalls with gratitude those who died in defense of our freedom and the freedom of others. Hoist your flag high, display its colors with pride and in the silence of our hard-won peace give thanks to those who did not come home from war.
This story was originally published May 23, 2015 at 2:54 PM with the headline "On Memorial Day, remember the fallen."