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Memorial Day - last Monday in May

© Linda Campbell

Memorial Day originally started as a day to remember those who died in the Civil War, although the South still retained separate commemoration days for their war dead. It was first proclaimed as a national day of remembrance in 1868 by General John Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Originally called Decoration Day it is celebrated on the last Monday in May. The first official remembrance was on 30th May 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery.

After the World War I, the day was declared as a day of remembrance for all American soldiers who had died in any war. In 1968, Congress declared that the day should always fall on the last Monday in May.

Many towns and cities have laid claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day and it is difficult to know which claim is correct. It is likely that various places had their own commemoration days, some of them before the end of the Civil War. In May 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y. to be the original place of celebration.

In 1915, the Canadian John McRae wrote the following lines for the dead of World War 1 (which was not to finish for another three years).

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow. Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch, be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

In 1918, Moina Michael, an American woman, volunteered for war work with the Overseas YMCA War Workers. Moina never achieved her ambition as she was deemed too old (at 49 years) for overseas service. While working at the headquarters of the Overseas YMCA Secretaries Moina read the above poem on November 9th 1918, two days before the Armistice was declared. Although she had read the poem before, on this occasion she was so moved by it that she pledged to always wear a red poppy in remembrance. On that same day Moina was given $10 in appreciation of her efforts to brighten up the place with flowers. Moina immediately tried to purchase some poppies with it. She was only able to buy one poppy but procured some artificial ones made of silk. By the end of the day, she had given out the poppies to people interested in their symbolism. In August 1920, the Georgia Department of the American Legion adopted the Poppy and in September the National American Legion made the Poppy its emblem of remembrance.

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