Decoration Day

By Tammy Derouin

As we approach Memorial Day, I wanted to revisit the history of the holiday. What began as a look back, quickly turned into hours of reading. I began to get sidetracked as one date and event led to another. History provides answers and reminds us of the reasons we are free. Had it not been for those who came before us, and those who sacrificed their lives, we would not have the freedom we have today.

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It began in the years following the end of Civil War. The Civil War began when the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina on April 12, 1861. It ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.

A great divide was taking place in the years leading up to the War Between the States. Several issues such as the moral conflict over slavery, the argument of states' rights and the authority of the federal government over the states, as well as the feeling that the South's 'way of life' was being infringed upon, were all coming to a head. Families and friends became enemies as tensions mounted. The great divide would cause brother to stand against brother, neighbor against neighbor and countrymen against countrymen.

The years of war claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history. As a result, national cemeteries were established. In November 1863, President Lincoln was invited to the official dedication of the National Cemetery of Gettysburg, the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. There were approximately 23,000 casualties for the Union and approximately 28,000 casualties for the Confederacy. Lincoln addressed the crowd with fewer than 300 words, but his words were powerful and have resonated throughout time and became known as the Gettysburg Address.

By the end of the 1860's many communities had begun honoring those who died in battle. They honored their fallen soldiers by decorating their graves. Waterloo, New York is considered the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They held their first community-wide event on May 5, 1866. A couple years later in 1868, General John A. Logan, of the Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance. May 30 would become the official Decoration Day in 1868. The date was chosen because it didn't commemorate any battle or event.

As the United States entered World War I and casualties began to increase, the holiday, which was originally set aside to honor those who gave their lives during the Civil War, evolved into a holiday which would honor all those who died serving in the military during time of war. Over the years, Decoration Day became known as Memorial Day. In 1968, Congress established the holiday as the last Monday in May.

It is important to understand that without the sacrifices of those who came before us, we would not be free. The blessings of liberty come with a cost and each generation pays a price so that the freedom we enjoy is maintained and can be passed on to the next generation. There are no guarantees that freedom will continue. It must be preserved and defended.

Taking our freedom for granted is the surest way to lose it. Without knowledge of our history or understanding the importance of our rights, it is easy to dismiss their value. When the going gets tough, it has become easier for some to offer up our freedoms and rights by placing them on the chopping block. To think you are safer or better off without your rights or that the government knows best, is a huge mistake which will result in dire consequences. It's also proof that our educational system has failed miserably.

The United States is an exceptional nation because we are free. Men and women representing the United States are standing guard all around the world so that you wake up in the land of the free. They defend our flag and the freedom it represents knowing full well that that includes the freedom of individuals who choose to disrespect the symbols of freedom, to not stand for the National Anthem or not say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Carelessness, due to lack of knowledge and understanding, would destroy everything for which those before us suffered, and made the ultimate sacrifice.

“-- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Abraham Lincoln

Gettysburg Address