Commemorating Memorial Day

We need to honor and remember the people who made our freedoms and democracy possible

I have been lucky enough to have traveled throughout my life. One thing I noticed in every place, no matter how different the society, culture, and mores may be, every nation I have seen sets aside space, time, and energy to commemorate and honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

In the United States, we have two days where we honor our military and those who gave their lives for us. Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day. For many, Memorial Day is more about the sales, cookouts, three-day weekends, and the start of summer than honoring anyone.

When I was a kid, I cared more about those other things, too. As I grew up and older the real meaning of the holiday hit me. Tomorrow I am going to a parade in my town.

Decoration Day Then, Memorial Day Today

Today’s Memorial Day started after the Civil War as Decoration Day. According to the History Channel:

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.

By the late 1860s, Americans…