In two weeks Memorial Day will be upon us here in the U.S. [ I could be off on my count ... I have not had an espresso yet ... ] I will be doing something different this year, as opposed to other years. I will lay a wreath commemorating all the British military personnel who have died in battle throughout the ages at our local WWI-WWII-Korea-Vietnam memorial here in Houston, Texas. I have even found another vet in the local area to join me as well. As my grandfather told me, "If it wasn't for the Brits holding out in the war, hanging on and kicking the Germans in the rear in North Africa, we could not have won the war. Remember Mick, the Brits were in it two years before we joined." After the event, I will post pics. Regards, Mick
Your Grandfather sounds like a top bloke. Mick, is there any significance to the date assuming the US have the same day every year? Regards Andy
Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May, whatever the date. Have attended at Cambridge, England for over 20 years. Ranger
Hello Andy [ and Ranger ]: This coming 11 November, we will be posting a wreath at Camp Logan [ the old WW1 Training grounds here in Houston, Texas which is now Memorial Park - essentially a jogging trail, golf course, etc. ] as well as Memorial Day. We'll do the same there and post a wreath for all British and Commonwealth soldiers as well. Here's some info on Memorial Day ... sorry for publishing "War and Peace"! Memorial Day Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at quarter-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each gravesite at National Cemeteries. Many Americans also use Memorial Day to honor other family members who have died. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars take donations[2] for poppies in the days leading up to Memorial Day; the poppy's significance to Memorial Day is the result of the John McCrae poem "In Flanders Fields." In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sporting events. One of the longest-standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911. Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. In the Northern United States, it is the traditional weekend in which people reopen pools that had been covered for the winter. The national "Click It or Ticket" campaign ramps up beginning Memorial Day weekend, noting the beginning of the most dangerous season for car accidents and other safety-related incidents. The United States Air Force's "101 Critical Days of Summer," marking the period that statistically has shown an increase in accidents, begin on this day as well. [2] Memorial Day formerly was observed on May 30. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocate returning to this fixed date, although the significance of the date is tenuous. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address: “Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.[3]” Since 1987, Hawaii's Senator Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran, has repeatedly introduced measures to return Memorial Day to its traditional date. The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, now celebrated as Presidents' Day; Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.
Is it to do with the American Civil War? Andy, Sorry for not answering your question. Actually the significance has to do with the Civil War: The first official Memorial Day was held on May 30, 1868, organized by General John Logan. (The date was chosen because it was not an anniversary date of a battle.) The objective of Memorial Day was to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, flowers were placed on Union and Confederate graves in Arlington National Cemetery. New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1873. I do remember having relatives tell me that Memorial Day was a "Yankee holiday" and not a Southern one [ the scars from the Civil War were still quite palpable in the mid 1960's in the South ]. Although 11 November has always been "the memorial day for veterans" after it was changed from "Armistice Day" to "Veteran's Day" [ legislated in 1954 by government edict ], Memorial Day still has significance to veterans as well. I've taken part in various Memorial Day events, starting with the Cold War Veterans in 2005. I do remember a Rhodesian [ RLI ] veteran coming out with his wife to the ceremony. Hope that helps. Regards, Mick
