cj Sez: Because I
think this information is important, this post is a repeat
from 2018 . . .
 |
| All sacrificed some; some sacrificed all. |
Q. What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial
Day?
A. People often confuse the purposes of Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans
for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national
security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served—not only those who died—have sacrificed greatly and done
their duty.
Memorial Day is a day that was set
aside to remember and honor military personnel who died in the service of their
country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds
sustained in battle.
Today they are generally treated by many people as interchangeable opportunities to thank and honor all military veterans, living or dead, who served honorably in wartime or peacetime.
It wasn't always
called Memorial Day — it used to be known as Decoration Day. (cj Sez: When I was little, we called it
Poppy Day instead of Decoration Day.) Whatever the name, it's a day of
remembrance for all those who have died in service of the United States of
America.
Born of the Civil
War, Memorial Day began as a holiday honoring Union soldiers, and some states
still have separate Confederate observances. Mississippi celebrates
Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth
Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it
on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate
Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day on Jan. 19 and Virginia
calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day. (cj Sez: In this era of intolerance and cries to erase visible traces
of our sad history, memorials respecting Confederate soldiers who died
fighting for what they believed in may not exist much longer.)
The date of the
first Decoration Day, the 30th of May, 1868, was chosen because it wasn’t the
anniversary of any particular Civil War battle.
In 1915, inspired
by the rondeau poem “In Flanders Fields” (penned by Canadian physician
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae while still at a World War I battlefront), Moina
Michael conceived the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of
those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one and
sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit
servicemen in need.
///
The thoughts below are
from the Facebook of Janie Delchamps Zetsch of Dauphin Island, AL, a veteran
and member of AL Post 250. It says everything. In 2018 Janie told me it had
been a repost and gave me permission to use it. I repeat it again today. Please
take a minute to read it all the way through.
“Just a reminder of what we celebrate (this)
weekend. I am but one of millions of proud veterans, however it is not about
us. It is to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice during battle, and to
honor those that served and have now gone onto their eternal rest. The
following, pointed, reminders are provided for your use, knowledge and perhaps
to teach a child what we celebrate and honor on Memorial Day.
Here's some ground
rules…:
1. Don't wish me a Happy Memorial day. There is nothing happy about brave men and women dying.
2. It's not a holiday. It's a remembrance.
3. If you want to know the true meaning, visit Arlington or your local VA, not Disneyland.
4. Don't tell me how great any one political power is. Tell me about Chesty Puller, George Patton, John Basilone, Dakota Meyer, Kyle Carpenter, Mitchell Paige, Ira Hayes, Chris Kyle and any other heroes too numerous to name. Attend a Bell Ceremony and shed some tears.
5. Don't tell me I don't know what I am talking about. I have carried the burden all too many times for my warriors who now stand their post for God.
6. Say a prayer... and then another.
7. Remember the Fallen for all the Good they did while they were here.
8. Reach out and let a Vet know you're there, we're losing too many in "peace". God Bless those who fought and died and served this nation for our freedom.”
1. Don't wish me a Happy Memorial day. There is nothing happy about brave men and women dying.
2. It's not a holiday. It's a remembrance.
3. If you want to know the true meaning, visit Arlington or your local VA, not Disneyland.
4. Don't tell me how great any one political power is. Tell me about Chesty Puller, George Patton, John Basilone, Dakota Meyer, Kyle Carpenter, Mitchell Paige, Ira Hayes, Chris Kyle and any other heroes too numerous to name. Attend a Bell Ceremony and shed some tears.
5. Don't tell me I don't know what I am talking about. I have carried the burden all too many times for my warriors who now stand their post for God.
6. Say a prayer... and then another.
7. Remember the Fallen for all the Good they did while they were here.
8. Reach out and let a Vet know you're there, we're losing too many in "peace". God Bless those who fought and died and served this nation for our freedom.”
///
cj Sez: I owe a humbling debt of gratitude—one I
can never repay—to
the heroes who died so that my family and I live in freedom today. I pray God’s
blessings and comfort rain down on their families.
That’s it for today’s
post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same, (Sending up
prayers for your health and safety.)
cj
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The further we become removed from WWII, the last "great" war (not that any war is great), but less this holiday is understood. My only connection with it is that I was told my father didn't see me until I was over a year old. My parents were married and I was immediately conceived, then he shipped out to the Pacific with the Navy for two years. My own experience was with my husband and Viet Nam. He got shipped to S. Korea instead, but an incredibly lucky fluke, but that was the war of our generation. Those vets were not honored for way too long, since the war was so unpopular. Thanks for the post from the vet!
ReplyDeletecj Sez: If we can't remember and feel the pain of past wars, we are doomed to repeat the tragedies, as the adage goes. One of my uncles was involved in the D-Day landing and was eventually discharged after being diagnosed as "shell-shocked"--their word for PTSD. Thanks for your comment, Kaye. Stay safe.
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