The Importance of Memorial Day
Remembering and honoring all United States soldiers that died in war is, in general terms, what Memorial Day is all about. Originally called Decoration Day, it was not until after World War II that the reference to the current name gained national momentum. Most countries celebrate versions of honoring their war dead. In the case of the United States, given its foundational adhesion to the principle of liberty with its concurrent constitutional republican model and an innate abidance of living within a Christian transcendental order, the solemness and self-identification of this special occasion places Memorial Day among America’s most relevant celebrations.
Union General John A. Logan, a former congressman, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal organization composed of Union Civil War veterans) and subsequent senator for Illinois, issued on May 5th, 1868, General Order No. 11. This proclamation established on May 30th of that year as a day of remembrance to honor those who gave up their lives for their country in the American Civil War. “The 30th day of May 1868”, read the Order, “is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land.”
Continue Reading …The Importance of Memorial Day