Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Monday, May 29, is the day this year set aside as Memorial Day. Memorial Day is the day we remember the sacrifices made by the members of the armed services who have helped ensure the freedoms we all enjoy in the nation. Memorial Day has its roots in the days and years immediately following the American Civil War. Originally called Decoration Day, it became an official federal holiday in 1971.
By the late 1860s, citizens across the US had begun holding tributes to fallen soldiers by decorating their gravesites with flowers and often reciting prayers. These tributes were often held in the spring. It is believed the town of Waterloo, N.Y. was the first town to host a community-wide event during which businesses closed and residents decorated soldiers' graves with flowers and flags. This tradition dates back to May 5, 1866.
On May 5, 1868, Gen. John A. Logan called for a nationwide remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, 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 churchyard in the land,” declared Logan.
Originally, the day only honored Civil War veterans; but during World War I, all fallen veterans began to be remembered.
Locally, there will be a special Memorial Day observance program on Monday, May 29, at the Gazebo in Four Freedoms Park, in downtown Madison. The program will begin at 11 a.m. Grilled hot dogs and chips will be served at the conclusion of the program. For more information about the local Memorial Day observance, please contact Oliver Bradley at the Madison County Veterans Service Office at (850) 973-3208 or (850) 464-1191.