Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Memorial Day

The History and Heart of Memorial Day

by Leave a Comment

The History and Heart of Memorial Day

While Memorial Day can signify the beginning of the summer season, we know, as a military community, how much that day matters. Memorial Day honors and remembers those who have died while serving in the military. The holiday, always on the last Monday in May, was initially called Decoration Day.

The History of Memorial Day

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of the Grand Army of the Republic (a Union veterans organization), issued an official proclamation designating May 30th as a day of remembrance for those who died in the Civil War. Called “Decoration Day,” this day honored Union soldiers who had died in the American Civil War.

During that first celebration, the former General and sitting Ohio congressman James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. After the speech, 5,000 people helped decorate the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers. The first US state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday was New York in 1873.

After World War I, Memorial Day became a day to honor all who had died in America’s wars. Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971, so Memorial Day would always be on the last Monday of May.

The Heart

Today, you can find Memorial Day events throughout the United States. On Memorial Day, we remember those we have lost and their sacrifice. Any military member or spouse can tell you about those special to them who are no longer with us. On Memorial Day, we remember them, who they were, what they did, and what we miss the most about them.

Memorial Day often marks the unofficial start of summer. A weekend filled with BBQs, beach trips, family gatherings, and even store sales or free meals for service members. And while there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those traditions, it’s important to pause and remember the day’s true meaning.

Memorial Day is not just a day off; it’s a tribute to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Military. Their courage, service, and selflessness made our freedoms possible. Amid the fun and food, may we always take a moment to reflect on those who gave everything for their country, and honor them not just with our words, but with our gratitude and how we live.

The History and Heart of Memorial Day

What Memorial Day Really Means to the Military Community

by Leave a Comment

What Memorial Day Really Means For the Military Community

Memorial Day…a day for a BBQ, spending time in the pool, or an extra day off work?

Yes, but…

For the Military community, Memorial Day is a little different.

We do have BBQs, and we do spend time in the pool and have an extra day off work, but we also remember those who have lost their lives, in a very personal way.

Each of us knows a Gold Star family. I know many of them personally. Friends who became widows during our past deployments, friends who have received that knock on the door, friends who will never be the same.

They are who I think about on this day.

  • I think about how we all said goodbye to our husbands together, yet some did not return.
  • I think about my husband telling a fellow soldier what it was like to be a Dad, only to have that soldier lose his life the very next day. His wife was pregnant with their first baby.
  • I think about reading that email about the soldier who died and realizing I knew that last name. The name belonged to a friend of mine.
  • I think about hearing my husband talk about his buddy. How they had a lot in common. How he was a family guy too. And then receiving a phone call while I was in Vienna of all places, that he had also been killed in action.
  • I think about the fence outside the elementary school in Germany with the photos of those who we had lost during that long 15-month deployment.
  • I think about the little children that will never know their own fathers because they died before they were old enough to be able to remember them.
  • I think about the older children that still feel the loss so greatly years later.
  • I think about the Moms sending their children off to war only to get the knock on the door that they were not coming home.
  • I think about the end of a Memorial service when they call for the soldier and he does not answer. I think about how heartbreaking that really is.
  • I think about the table that sits empty at every Military Ball.

This is what Memorial Day means to the military community. We can’t help it. As a Military spouse, I have experienced all of this, and so have so many others.

Memorial Day is real life, not just something that happened 50 years ago. Memorial Day hits us hard, in so many different ways. Memorial Day is a time to reflect and remember, and mourn for those who have paid the ultimate price.

So when you are enjoying your day off, enjoying a BBQ, spending time with your family and friends, please remember the Gold Star families who are missing someone.

Remember what they have been through and what they have given up.

Say a prayer and remember that freedom is just not free. Freedom always comes with a cost.