Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend. It’s often thought of as the beginning of summer or the end of school and serves as a really good reason to go to the lake. But as I said, it is more. It is the day set aside to remember those who gave their life in the line of duty.
The rumor that Memorial Day was started by the Confederacy is only partly true. In 1866 the Daughters of the Confederacy wanted a memorial statue for their graveyard. Unable to afford one, they opted for placing flowers on ALL the graves, both Union and Confederate alike, as they thought of all the mothers and wives who could not travel south. During the next 2 years this inclusive news traveled North and was found so endearing by all Americans, that it became an unofficial holiday. In 1968, 100 years later, our Federal Government enacted the Memorial Day holiday stating it was to remember all military personnel lost in all wars.
This past Saturday, FlagandBanner.com hosted a signing of the book Fearless by Adam Brown’s, Seal Team 6, wife Kelly Brown and founder of the Adam Brown underwater memorial, Will Stevens. Thanks to the power of Facebook and PRWeb, we had a crowd of people from near and far attend the signing. Many of these good people told me that it’s not easy to find an appropriate and educational Memorial Weekend activity that is family friendly.
That day, my co-workers and I felt proud of ourselves for hosting a holiday relevant event that many were searching for. We listened as they shared commensurate stories, were awed by human sacrifice and remembered those gone to us now.
