MEMORIAL DAY 2023

May We Never Forget Freedom Isn’t Free

Hello, and welcome to my Blog. I am Aiden D. Kirchner an Army Veteran, thanks for stopping by and taking time to read my Blog Post as you celebrate this memorial holiday with me and as we remember those who sacrificed their lives for us.

#MemorialDay #HonorTheFallen
​#RememberingTheHeroes

Memorial Day is a sacred holiday for the United States as we remember those in the military who died in service to the nation. While not primarily a religious commemoration, it has the feel of something connected to the divine and evokes the religious overtones of our nation’s founding documents, as well as the faith of those who risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to establish the United States of America. There is no other holiday like it in the United States. As time passed, it became a day not only to honor those who died in our nation’s wars but also to remember all who wore the uniform and are now deceased.

It brings to my mind words that I have spoken and have heard spoken at countless graveside ceremonies as the American flag is presented to the fallen service member’s loved one: “On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States Army (or Navy, Marines, Air Force), and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s service to the nation.”

​Thank you to the fallen soldiers for your Honor and Sacrifice, we honor those of you ono this day who died so we could be free. #HonorAndRemember #Hooah

About Memorial Day:

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. From 1868 to 1970, it was observed on May 30. Since 1970, it is observed on the last Monday of May. 

And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier's tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.
- Joseph Rodman Drake

I'd like to take a moment to remember someone I used to know on this Memorial Day, Jason Redifer who was killed in the line of duty. Read more about Jason in my Blog Post.

CLICK HERE TO READ MY BLOG POST ABOUT MARINE JASON REDIFER

GREATER LOVE HAS
NO ONE THAN THIS,
THAT SOMEONE
LAY DOWN HIS
LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.

What is Memorial Day celebrated for?

The Tangled Roots of Memorial Day and Why It's Celebrated. The holiday marks the unofficial start of summer and honors those who have died in the nation's wars.

Memorial Day is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of the more than one million Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms.

Why is it called Memorial Day?

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, began during the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. After World War I, it came to be observed in honor of those who had died in all U.S. wars, and its name changed to Memorial Day.

Thank you to the fallen soldiers who died so we could be free. #HonorAndRemember #Hooah

Here are interesting facts about Memorial Day:

• Memorial Day began as Decoration Day. ...
• Decoration Day only recognized fallen soldiers of the Civil War until World War I. ...
• Memorial Day was not an official holiday until 1968. ...
• Memorial Day is one of the few day's flags are ordered to fly at half-staff then full staff.

Why is Memorial Day a national holiday?

Memorial Day was declared a national holiday through an act of Congress in 1971, and its roots date back to the Civil War era, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Unlike Veterans Day, Memorial Day honors all military members who have died in while serving in U.S. forces.

What are 3 Memorial Day traditions?

Memorial Day traditions include the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery; religious services, parades, and speeches across the United States; and the placement of flags, insignia, and flowers on the graves of veterans.

How do you honor Memorial Day?

Over the years, Memorial Day has grown to include traditions such as the red poppy of remembrance, various parades and ceremonies, and the National Moment of Remembrance. Attending parades and public ceremonies can be a great way to show your kids the importance of remembering.

What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor the sacrifices of innumerable individuals who sacrificed themselves to preserve the freedoms all Americans enjoy, with Memorial Day remembering those who gave their lives, and Veterans Day honoring all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

What are you supposed to do at 3pm on Memorial Day?

The National Moment of Remembrance is an annual event that asks Americans, wherever they are at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the official end to the Vietnam War, when the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam on March 29, 1973.

3.4 million U.S. service members were deployed to Southeast Asia during the war.

300,000 were wounded.

More than 700 were taken prisoner.

2,646 went missing in action with 1,584 still unaccounted for.

58,279 made the ultimate sacrifice.

As our nation commemorates Memorial Day this year, we take a moment to pay special tribute to all those who made that sacrifice during our nation’s longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. And we honor all of the nearly 1 million service members who have fallen throughout our nation’s history, reflecting on the high cost of those cherished American freedoms that so many take for granted.

President Ronald Reagan delivered the following oft-quoted remarks during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, on May 31, 1982.

“The sight before us is that of a strong and good nation that stands in silence and remembers those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them. Yet we must try to honor them — not for their sake alone, but for our own. And if words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions, we must strive to keep faith with them and with a vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice.

“Our first obligation to them and ourselves is plain enough: the United States and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost. 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. And how they must have wished — in all the ugliness that war brings — that no other generation of young men to follow would have to undergo that same experience.

“As we honor their memory today, let us pledge that their lives, their sacrifices, their valor shall be justified and remembered for as long as God gives life to this nation. And let us also pledge to do our utmost to carry out what must have been their wish — that no other generation of young men will ever have to share their experiences and repeat their sacrifice.”

What is red for Memorial Day?

The American Legion brought National Poppy Day® to the United States by asking Congress to designate the Friday before Memorial Day, as National Poppy Day. On May 26, wear a red poppy to honor the fallen and support the living who have worn our nation's uniform.

What is traditionally decorated on Memorial Day?

Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country.

Why do we play taps at 3 00?

The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying time off from work for the national holiday. The Moment was first proclaimed in May 2000 for Memorial Day that year and was put in law by the United States Congress in December 2000.

Memorial Day 2023 will occur on Monday, May 29. ​Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date General Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Memorial Day Traditions and Rituals

Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem. On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because Memorial Day weekend—the long weekend comprising the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day and Memorial Day itself—unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

Memorial Day 2023: Facts and Traditions

Memorial Day is more than just a great excuse for a cookout and a day off from work. We explain the history, facts and why there's a special flower associated with the holiday.

Memorial Day is more than just a great excuse for a cookout and a day off from work. The holiday was created to honor the many American men and women who died in military service. This focus on those who made the ultimate sacrifice sets it apart from Veterans’ Day, which honors all military veterans, living and dead.

Memorial Day is always commemorated in the U.S. on the last Monday in May. In 2023 Memorial Day is on Monday, May 29. In Canada, Memorial Day is commemorated with Canada Day on July 1st each year (in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador), and Remembrance Day on November 11th. Victoria Day, May 20, is Canada’s unofficial start to summer.

Memorial Day History and Facts

• The day was originally set aside to remember Union soldiers who died during the Civil War, but following World War I, its scope expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. At the end of the Civil War, many U.S. cities held their own memorial observations for their hometown heroes.

• The idea for a specific holiday came in 1868 from Illinois Senator John Alexander Logan, a former Union general and keynote speaker at one early observation. Logan used his position as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization of Union soldiers, to issue a proclamation for a national “Decoration Day” to be observed on May 30 of that year by decorating the tombs of Union soldiers.
  

• The name “Memorial Day,” started cropping up from time to time. The new name became more common after World War II, and in 1967 was declared the official name by Federal law.
  

• Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30 until 1968, when Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, moving 4 holidays — Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day, Veterans Day and Memorial Day—to designated Mondays in order to create the ever-popular three-day weekends. (Veterans Day eventually reverted to its traditional November 11 date, which mirrors Armistice Day and Remembrance Day celebrations in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations).
  

Memorial Day was created to honor the many American men and women who died in military service.

Why Is the Poppy Associated with Memorial Day?

Poppies are associated with those who died during wartime since World War I.  In the U.S., people wear the red poppy on Memorial Day to honor those who died trying to protect the country, according to The Department of Veterans Affairs. In Canada, poppies are worn on Remembrance Day, November 11th.

The red color is not a symbol of blood, death, or support for war. Instead, poppies were the only flowers that grew in war-torn battlefields. When the countryside's were nothing but mud and devastation, poppy flowers sprouted up and flourished. The sight of the red poppies inspired one Canadian soldier, Colonel John McCrae, to pen a poem in May 1915:

In Flanders Fields

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.

Colonel John McCrae