On May 5, 1868, General John Logan officially proclaimed a day of remembrance for fallen soldiers. On May 30, 1868 flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, marking the first observance of Memorial Day.
Over the years, community observances of Memorial Day have diminished. Where parades and memorial services were once held, silence filled the air. Groceries stores were filled with people purchasing food for gatherings with friends, with no thought to those that have shed their blood on battlefields throughout the decades. Parks and lakes were filled with workers thrilled to have a day off of work, while the cemeteries filled with the graves of the fallen remained empty. Our freedom is taken for granted, and those that have given their lives to defend those freedoms have been forgotten.
Today, as we see the red and white strips of the American flag, let us remember the battles waged and the lives lost.
Let us remember...
as we spend this Memorial Day enjoying good food and friendship to take a moment and remember those that have given their lives defending the freedoms we enjoy.
Let us remember...
as we spend the day creating memories with our friends and family, to say a prayer for those that have lost loved ones on bloody battlefields.
On this Memorial Day let us remember...
that blood has been shed to ensure us of the freedoms we hold dear.
Let us remember ...
that a great price has been paid for the freedoms that we take for granted.
Let us remember...
that our freedoms are not free.
