Memorial Day is an American story even though most countries set aside a day for reflection and to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces. Some even call it Memorial Day. But the celebration of Memorial Day in the United States has a unique history.

The holidays origins began with simple observances at local cemeteries after the Civil War. One of the earliest of these commemorations occured on May 1, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina that was organized by freed slaves to give a proper burial to Union troops.

Originally called Decoration Day, the ceremony was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 when former Union General, Ohio Congressman, and future president James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. At the same ceremony General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers, made a proclamation to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers.

The solemn event was followed by more than 5,000 participants decorating the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers with flags and flowers. The tradition of unifying the nation through a reflection on shared sacrifice and the meaning of patriotism.

An American Story

During his speech at Arlington National Cemetery, Congressman Garfield said, “We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”

The addresses made by presidents and elected officials on Memorial Day are a reflection on the evolution of the American story. Even in dark days and tumultuous times of deep divisions the celebration of Memorial Day was used to unite the nation through reflection on shared sacrifice and to inspire.

On May 31, 1982, President Reagan said, “The willingness of some to give their lives so that others might live never fails to evoke in us a sense of wonder and mystery. One gets that feeling here on this hallowed ground. And I have known that same poignant feeling as I looked out across the rows of white crosses and stars of David in Europe, in the Philippines and the military cemeteries here in our own land. Each one marks the resting place of an American hero.”

“My fellow Americans, on this Memorial Day, let us commit ourselves to a future worthy of their sacrifice.” President Clinton, May 25, 1998.

President Herbert Hoove, “”An ideal is an unselfish aspiration. Its purpose is the general welfare not only of this but of future generations. It is a thing of the spirit. It is a generous and humane desire that all men may share equally in a common good. Our ideals are the cement, which binds human society.”

A Brief History

The first state to designate Memorial Day a legal holiday was New York. That was in 1873. By the late 19th century a number of communities and several states followed New Yorks lead.

After World War I, the focus of a Memorial Day commemorations broadened. It morphed into a ceremony honoring those who died in all of America’s wars. This fueled the drive to make it a national holiday.

Surprisingly this didn’t happen until 1971 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The act established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday of May.

Building on the tradition established by James Garfield, Memorial Day is commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery each year. As part of the ceremony a small American flag is placed on each grave. And the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Reflection

It wasn’t a speech given on Memorial Day. But the Farewell Statement from Senator John McCain is worthy time for reflection this Memorial Day holiday.

““Fellow Americans” — that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history. We have acquired great wealth and power in the process.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our nationalism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.

We are three-hundred-and-twenty-five million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country, we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.”

If you would like to read the rest of the address, this is the link.

An American Story

At Jim Hinckley’s America we are passionate about the amazing, diverse, conroversial and inspiring American story. So, for us Memorial Day is more than the end of a three day weekend.

It is an opportunity to pause and to reflect on the meaning of sacrifice, and patriotism. And it is a reminder that our political opinions may differ but at the end of the day we are Americans united in shared sacrifice.

We are not Democrats or Republicans, conservatives or liberals, atheists, Christians, or Muslim. We are Americans.