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Memorial Day
Dedicated to all the men and women who bravely gave their lives for their country.
Memorial Day a legal holiday, observed annually on the last Monday in May in most of the United States, in honor of the nation's armed services personnel killed in wartime. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, on the order of General John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance. Confederate Memorial Day, formerly a legal holiday in many southern states, is still observed on the fourth Monday in April in Alabama, the last Monday in April in Mississippi, and April 26 in Florida and Georgia. Visit this website for additional information: https://www.holidays-info.com/united-states/holidays/confederate-memorial-day-al/
American Legion Commander's Message:
Remembering the roots of Memorial Day
Reprinted with permission from The American Legion magazine; May 2001.
By National Commander Ray G. Smith
THE MEANING of Memorial Day permanently deepened for me after the Fourth of July 1953. On that patriotic day, I was flying over the Pacific with the 19th Bomb Wing of the 20th Air Force when someone handed me a telegram. The message stated that my brother, U.S. Army Pfc. Charles C. Smith, was killed in action June 18. The feeling I had at that moment I'll never be able to adequately describe or forget. Twenty-four days later, the shooting stopped.
My brother was one of more than 34,000 Americans whose supreme sacrifice halted the violent communist invasion and occupation of South Korea. And he was one among 625,000 brave Americans who died fighting in a U.S. uniform in the 20th century.
Since the Vietnam War, thankfully, those dreaded telegrams have been fewer and farther between. Less than 1 percent of Americans killed in action during the 20th century fell after 1775, a statistic that is perhaps the greatest legacy of all for those like my brother. The downside is that today few Americans younger than 45 understand what Memorial Day really means.Commander Ray G. Smith
The Date Matters. For too many Americans, the original meaning of Memorial Day has drifted away with the barbecue smoke. Taking a three-day weekend on whatever date the last Monday of May falls, more and more families regard this important patriotic holiday as little more than a swinging gate to summer vacation. Off to the mountains, beaches and theme parks they go.
The American Legion certainly has nothing against three-day weekends or summer vacations, but we do believe Memorial Day deserves its moment of traditional reflection at the same time each year. For those who don't remember, May 30 used to be the official day, Monday or not, to salute those who gave their lives in battle. Formerly known as "Decoration Day," the holiday's definition broadened over time to honor the memories of civilians and soldiers alike. That was fine, but once the date started jumping around over the calendar, too often the services, prayers and parades for fallen soldiers became something to do if the fish weren't biting.
The Birthplace of Memorial Day. One place where the holiday's original intent remains unchanged is Waterloo, NY, which in 1966 was proclaimed by President Lyndon Johnson as the official birthplace of Memorial Day.
Shortly after the Civil War ended, a Waterloo druggist named Henry Welles collaborated with Union Gen. John B. Murray to organize a local tribute for the war dead. The program included processions to and from the cemeteries, military music, speeches, wreaths, crosses and bouquets. Of the earliest such remembrances (and there were many to heal the Civil War's wounds) Waterloo's 1866 program most closely resembled Memorial Days to come.
A pristine village of about 5,300 in western New York's scenic Finger Lakes region, Waterloo still follows its original Memorial Day model, drawing thousands of visitors each year, even when it's not on a Monday. In 1966, to celebrate the occasion's centennial, a 22-room Memorial Day museum opened to the public.
To Jim Lewis, a member of Waterloo's Warner VanRiper Post 435, the deeper meaning of Memorial Day does not get lost in the crowd. A U.S. Army medical corpsman during the Korean War, he routinely risked his life to save others who were wounded in battle. Many didn't make it. "A lot of people saw more than I did, but it still really hurts whenever I hear 'Taps,'" Lewis says. "You never lose that memory."
After the war, he came home to Waterloo and immediately joined the American Legion, which plays a major role in the village's big Memorial Day observances each year. Lewis' dedication, enthusiasm and leadership haven't wavered in more than 40 years. "I learned very quickly in Korea three words that mean a lot - duty, God and country," Lewis says. "I still live by those words."
This year, Waterloo recognizes Memorial Day on a Wednesday. Prayers, wreaths, flowers and "Taps" are planned at two different cemeteries. Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and World War II veterans, along with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, will parade past the museum and attend the evening program at the Post. "There are no horses, no carnivals, no rock 'n' roll band," Lewis says. "Everything is patriotic. A lot of politicians are invited here, but they're not here to promote their politics. It's our day, not theirs."
A Tree of Many Roots. Tough officially proclaimed as Memorial Day's birthplace, Waterloo was not alone in its reverence for the dead after the smoke lifted from the battlefields of the Civil War.
The little village of Boalsburg, PA, traces its Memorial Day lineage to October 1864. Many cities across the South have Memorial Day roots that date back to the end of the Civil War. In all, some two-dozen communities have claimed to be the birthplace of Memorial Day.
The fact is that Memorial Day was not born so much in a particular place as in the collective hearts of 19th-century Americans feeling the same indescribable flood of emotions I felt on the Fourth of July 1953 in Korea. It's difficult to put into words what we should always remember to celebrate on Memorial Day. That's what makes it special, lest we forget.
Copyright 2001 by The American Legion
The 2021 American Legion Memorial Day Remembrance
https://www.legion.org/honor/252527/speech-american-legion-memorial-day-ceremonies
Memorial Day Website
http://www.usmemorialday.org/Veteran's History Project Website:
http://www.loc.gov/folklife/vets/
On the Occasion of Memorial Day
Each year, Americans welcome Memorial Day as part of a three-day weekend that initiates the summer season. Many do not take the time to consider the purpose of Memorial Day, its meaning to veterans, and how it came to be a significant American holiday.
By George A. Miziuk
There are two anecdotes on when the first Memorial Day occurred. The first claim belongs to Emma Hunter of Boalsburg, PA. Her father, Col. James Hunter, commanded the 49th Pennsylvania Regiment during the Civil War. Col. Hunter was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg, and Miss Hunter carried flowers to his grave in Gettysburg Cemetery in 1864.
The History of Memorial Day
Allows visitors to discover the Civil War-era origins of the holiday, as well as little-known facts about America's wars.
Visit the web site: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history
This MEMORIAL DAY Page is a tribute to ALL of America's War Dead. I dedicate it in remembrance of my AIRBORNE brothers who paid the Ultimate Price during the Vietnam War.
Webster's Dictionary describes the word MEMORIAL as "something that keeps remembrance alive". The World Book Encyclopedia states that MEMORIAL DAY (or Decoration Day as it was formerly called) is a patriotic day to honor American Soldiers who have given their lives for their country. It is a legal holiday in most states. Flowers and flags are placed on graves of soldiers. Many organizations march in military parades and take part in special programs. Memorial Day originated during the Civil War.
Continued at this web site: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/jimerson/memorial.htm
Memorial Day Round-Up
With the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, many of our thoughts may turn to the military heroes in our family's history. Where do we begin in our search for information about their military service? We've rounded up some great articles and links to help you on your way:
From Ancestry Daily News, published on 24 May 2001.
Reprinted with permission
Military Databases Available to Ancestry.com Subscribers
https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/39/
ARTICLES FORMERLY IN THE ANCESTRY.COM LIBRARY
"Honoring Our Ancestors: Finding a Soldier's Family,"
by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
(Originally found in "Ancestry Daily News", February 11, 2004)
https://honoringourancestors.com/library_military.html
From Ancestry Academy:
Civil War Stories
https://www.ancestryacademy.com/civil-war-stories
Six Steps to Find Your Civil War Veterans and their Regiments
https://www.ancestryacademy.com/six-steps-to-find-your-civil-war-veterans-and-their-regiments
Fold3 Memorials
https://www.ancestryacademy.com/fold3-memorials
Finding Your Military Veterans on Fold3.com
https://www.ancestryacademy.com/finding-your-military-veterans-on-fold3
How to Identify Civil War Photos
by Maureen A. Taylor
(originally found in "Ancestry" Magazine, Nov 2003, Vol. 21, No. 6)
https://maureentaylor.com/learn/how-to-identify-civil-war-photos/
"Family History Made Easy: How to Find Compiled Military Service Records for Your Ancestors"
by Lisa Cooke
https://lisalouisecooke.com/2017/11/13/compiled-military-service-records/
American Battlefield Trust: Female Soldiers in the Civil War
On The Front Line
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/female-soldiers-civil-war
U.S. Military Burials Overseas
Genealogy Guys Blog: June, 2018
http://blog.genealogyguys.com/2018/06/us-military-burials-overseas.html
MILITARY LINKS
NOTE: While some of these facilities, agencies, or organizations may hold some information on individual veterans, many are more focused on historical information regarding military history, units, and conflicts. Please refer to the Web pages for details on the holdings, research, and reference policies before requesting information.
American Battle Monuments Commission
http://www.abmc.gov/
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
http://www.va.gov/
Marine Corps Historical Center
https://www.usmcu.edu/research/histories/
National Archives and Records Administration
https://www.archives.gov/research/military
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center
National Cemetery System
Department of Veterans Affairs
https://www.cem.va.gov/
Naval Historical Center
http://www.history.navy.mil/
U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency
https://www.afhra.af.mil/
U.S. Army Center of Military History
https://history.army.mil/
U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center
https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/
American Civil War Museums
https://acwm.org/
U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office
https://www.history.uscg.mil/
U.S. Merchant Marine
http://www.usmm.org/index.html
U.S. Military Academy: West Point Museum
https://history.army.mil/museums/IMCOM/westPoint/index.html
PEARL HARBOR
Our thoughts turn to Pearl Harbor and those who died there, as well as the survivors of the attack. Below are links to Pearl Harbor-related sites:
Pearl Harbor Casualty List
http://www.usswestvirginia.org/fulllist.htm
Kid's National Geographic's Remembering Pearl Harbor site
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/pearl-harbor
Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
http://www.pearlharborsurvivorsonline.org/
Pearl Harbor: Remembered
https://www.nps.gov/perl/learn/historyculture/national-pearl-harbor-remembrance-day.htm
Pearl Harbor Links, The American War Library
http://www.autopenhosting.org/USAHeroes/warlib48.htm
The History Place
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pearl.htm
(Sequence of events and some photos)
U.S.S. Arizona - That Terrible Day
https://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/online-exhibits/exhibits/show/uss-arizona/chronology
(History, photo sources, and an incredible list of links)
U.S.S. Arizona Memorial
http://www.nps.gov/usar/
Air Raid on Pearl Harbor
Today in History, American Memory Project, Library of Congress
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec07.html
For more information from the Library of Congress, search the American Memory Project:
https://www.loc.gov/collections/
(My search for "Pearl Harbor" yielded over 11,000 results of both images and text.)
The Text Message
"Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part I"
https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2018/12/06/prologue-to-pearl-harbor-the-spy-flight-that-wasnt-part-i/
NARA Military Resources: WWII
https://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/military/ww2.html?_ga=2.99684190.1725446566.1621297628-1771350058.1621297628
NARA Powers of Persuasion - Posters from World War II
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers-of-persuasion?_ga=2.5967859.1725446566.1621297628-1771350058.1621297628
50 Patriotic Quotes
Parade - Heroes and Helpers: 50 Patriotic Memorial Day Quotes That Honor Our Nation's Veterans
Visit this web site: https://parade.com/1021399/marynliles/memorial-day-quotes/
More Internet Links
National D-Day Foundation
National memorial to the Allied forces who participated in the WWII invasion of France, June 6, 1944.
Visit this web site: http://www.dday.org
Washington, D.C. Pages on Memorial Day Parade
Points to Memorial Day resources in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.
Visit this web site: https://dcpages.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=100126
United States Veterans Cemeteries
http://www.interment.net/us/nat/veterans.htm
Wars of the World
https://www.onwar.com/index.html#gsc.tab=0
The National Memorial Day Concert
http://www.pbs.org/kaze/memorialdayconcert/memhtml/
General Logan's Grand Army of the Republic Order
http://suvcw.org/logan.htm
Memorials and Casualty Files
https://www.usmemorialday.org/memorialsfull
Memorial Day, a Time for Healing
http://www.johnshepler.com/articles/memorialday.html
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