By Jon Swenson
GCN Live.com
What was once an important day of observance for American men and women killed in combat has now been essentially forgotten and replaced by the unofficial beginning of summer, picnics in the park, going to the beach and
watching the Indianapolis 500. Perhaps it is time to reflect and remember what was, not that long ago, a solemn occasion across the country.
At the close of the Civil War, Decoration Day was enacted to recognize Union and Confederate soldiers who fell in the most deadly combat in American history.
The name, Decoration Day was formally changed to Memorial Day in 1882 and was extended after World War I to honor all Americans who died in all wars.
Should you choose to formally observe this treasured day prior to firing up the grill and reaching into the cooler, here is the ceremony. On the morning of Memorial Day, the flag is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then slowly lowered to the half-staff position where it remains until noon. It is
then raised to full-staff until dusk.
The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in the service of their country. At noon, their memory is raised by the living who resolve not to allow their sacrifice to be in vain, but to rise up in their stead and continue the fight for liberty and
justice.
The parades that were held in virtually every town and city from coast-to-coast are largely forgotten today. Veterans wore old uniforms and did their best to again march in formation. Men and women with crystal clear memories of the wars that they lived through stood on sidewalks with tears streaming down their cheeks.
It was a very different time and place, one that may never again be revisited, but should, if only for a moment or two, be remembered.
Now, go ahead and pack that picnic basket and load up the car for another day off work.
