Memorial Day
It is no secret that the Civil War,(which ended in the spring of 1865,) was one of the bloodiest wars in American history, claiming more lives than any conflict in US history. This horrific event required the establishment of the country’s first national cemetery. Unclear how this tradition began, in the late 1860’s various towns began holding springtime tributes to the countless fallen soldiers. Their graves were decorated with handpicked flowers the people gathered, and they recited prayers in their honor.
On May 5, 1866 Waterloo, New York, was declared the official birthplace of Decoration Day, as they already hosted an annual event where businesses closed and the whole community came together to decorate the graves and honor the fallen soldiers. It wasn’t till 1868 that the leader of the Northern Civil War Veteran’s called for a nationwide holiday honoring the veterans on the 30th May each year.
On the first Decoration Day a general made a speech at Arlington national Cemetery where 5000 participants decorate the graves of 20,000 Union and Confederate graves. Later Decoration Day became Memorial Day, and in 1968 after Congress passed the uniform Monday holiday act, and Memorial Day was then moved to the last Monday in the month of May to offer federal employees three-day weekends, and this went into effect in 1971. This law also declared Memorial Day as a federal holiday.
Since the 25,000 soldiers we lost in the American Revolution, we have lost 625,000 in the Civil War, 116,516 soldiers in World War I, 405,599 in World War II, 36,516 in the Korean War , 58,209 in Vietnam, 258 in the Persian Gulf, 2356 in Afghanistan, and 4489 in Iraq.
This does not include the Northwest Indian war, the Quasi war, the war of 1812, the first second or third Seminole war, the Mexican-American war, the Black Hawk war, Indian wars, the great Sioux war, the Spanish-American war, the Philippine American war, the Boxer Rebellion, the Mexican Revolution, Haiti occupation, the North Russia campaign, Nicaragua occupation, El Salvador Civil War, Beirut, Granada, Panama, the Somalian intervention, Bosnia, or the NATO air campaign in Yugoslavia. These numbers bring home the statement, FREEDOM ISN’T FREE!!!
How could we do anything less than take at least one day a year out of our busy lives to honor these fallen soldiers, which makes our way of life one of the best in the world? It saddens me when I go to a parade like I did this morning which took all of 10 minutes to march through our town. Where the hot dogs and hamburgers you plan to barbecue so important you couldn’t take a little time out to salute a flag as it marched by, in honor our veterans? Think about what our lives here, in this country, could be had these brave men and women not lay down their lives for us.
As parents it is imperative for us to teach our children respect for our veterans. Never should hot dogs hamburgers or swimming pools be considered more important than taking time out to do the right thing. Take your children to war memorials like the traveling wall in De Monte, Indiana. Get a DVD about the Holocaust, World War II, and Vietnam, instilling in your children what the soldiers went through to give us the freedom we enjoy today. Also teach your children to pray for the soldiers that are still fighting to keep us safe, and enjoying the freedom to worship Jesus Christ, as we can do today in this country.
We as authors have shied away from the graphic horrors of war. But we should not shy away from the sacrifices these men and women have made on our behalf. Making the heroes and heroines of our writings members of the military is one way we can give them the honor they deserve. Isn’t that the least we can do?
I thank God for each and every person of the military both alive and dead for granting me the freedom I enjoy today. Thank you seems to be an empty platitude, but you have my gratitude, and my prayers.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Proverbs 22:1
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2 Peter 1:5-8
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
Ecclesiastes 7:1
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Ephesians 6:7-8
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:3-4