“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”
For special days, I have traditional postings. This is one of them.
Memorial Day is a day for reflection and a day to give thanks. It is a day for honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military, those who gave, as President Lincoln once said, their “…last full measure of devotion.” This is my annual tribute.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. It originated during the American Civi War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead.”
While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860′s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in General Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, giving his official proclamation in 1868 designating May 30 as a memorial day “.. for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
May 25, 2026 at 8:58 pm
The Soldier’s Poem
How is it now that we are borne
upon a wave of sacrifice
Whose lives were bound for greater things
yet now we pay the price
But whose firm shoulders turned to bear
the blows for those behind
Into our foe we press ourselves
as fate’s grim judgment pares the rind
And how we think our selves above
things more eternal than we stand
and bear upon our enemy
with death or life in glov’d hand
Stand not! As what great wind may blow!
Fore swear! We say we will advance!
Like waves of grain encumbering
the field for sure will be entranced
Against that wind we throw ourselves
for those we have behind
And fate’s grim judgment pares the rind
Pray Justice pares the rind
May 26, 2026 at 1:07 am
Beto,
One of my friends lost her brother in Vietnam while another lost his son in Afghanistan. They still grieve.
May 26, 2026 at 5:53 am
Never forget.
Here we have Remembrance Sunday. Its in November each year. Additionally, we have the Royal British Legion charity, to help members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families. I am a member of a local branch and visit weekly to play snooker.
My mother’s eldest brother, Joe, was killed in a naval action in the South Pacific just before the end of World War 2. He had served throughout the war and was mentioned in the book “Dress Rehearsal” by Quentin Reynolds, for his brave service during an air attack and artillery fire on their ship at Dieppe, France, in 1942.
May 26, 2026 at 11:07 am
Peter,
In November we have Veteran’s Day which honors all who served. There are hometown parades and ceremonies. Many towns have social centers for veterans. They started to die out for a while but have had a resurgence.