Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country (source: http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html ).
I have a nephew and cousin serving in Afghanistan. My son will be going to Kuwait in July for a year-long tour. My son-in-law just graduated from his advanced Air Force training yesterday. I have a host of relatives, including in-laws, who have served or are serving in the the U.S. military. I confess that even with my many family service members, I haven't done much on Memorial Day to commemorate their service. I've sent care packages to my family members and to soldiers who I don't personally know. But this Memorial Day will be different for me. From attending the Military Support Group meetings, I know our soldiers feel forgotten. I'm appealing to you to do something different this Memorial Day - something that honors our veterans.
I asked you in my April 15 blog (Two Soldiers) to pray for our soldiers. I hope you're including them in your daily prayers. Before saying grace for your meal of spareribs, baked beans, potato salad, etc. on Monday, I specifically ask you to pray for Damian, Raylee, Wilbur, and Ugo for the sacrifice they are making on our behalf. Thank you.
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