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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Memorial Day and a chance to win a book.

Note: Leave me a comment and you could win your choice of the books listed below

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead".
While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
 Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.
The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
You all know I’m in love with Texas and, as Willie Nelson sang, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys. They are also SEALs, members of Delta Force, Force Recon Marines and hot shot pilots. The history of the military in Texas goes as far back at the Texas Revolution and the heroes who dies at the Alamo. I cry every time I see this on a memorial that stands at Alamo Plaza:
OLDEST MILITIA UNIT IN TEXAS
The fought from the Texas Revolution through World War II

To the men who dies at The Alamo:
All Texans acclaim both in song and in story
The days of your youth and the days of your glory
And they also remember wherever they go
The men left behind at some far Alamo

Please help me honor all of our military, who give so much so that we can be safe.
And check out my military heroes:
Ride the Mustang
Jungle Inferno
Extrasensory
Delicious Danger
F Stop
Feel the Heat
Unconditional Surrender
Lock and Load
Attack Force
Coyote Heat

And check me out here:
www.facebook.com/desireeholtauthor
Twitter @desireeholt
Pinterest: desiree02holt
Also on LinkedIn and Google+



8 comments:

Debby said...

Happy Memorial Day. I come from a military family and love this day.
debby236 at gmail dot com

Melissa Keir said...

Happy Memorial Day. My family and town used to celebrate with a parade which ended at the local cemetery where a picnic was followed by some fun family bonding about our family members who served.

We love Military Men and Women. They are the backbone of our country! All the best Desiree!

daringzoey at yahoo.com

Tina Donahue said...

Great list of books, Desiree. Happy Memorial Day!! :)

Life Without Frank said...

Thank you so much for the history lesson, I had no idea how Memorial Day came about. My family and I always go to the cemetery, I hold it together until they fire the first shot, then nothing but tears. I've spend a lot of time overseas and not in the best places. I always felt better knowing that those men and women were there to protect me.

Shannon
sabai30705(at)yahoo(dot)com

Judy Baker said...

Thanks for the reminder Desiree. We all should remember and honor.

jean hart stewart said...

Our military deserve every honor we can give.....

Cara Marsi said...

Thanks for the info on Memorial Day. Very interesting. I've been to the Alamo. Happy Memorial Day!

Jen CW said...

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Great post! Thank you for the reminder of what we should remember band honor.

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