Civic Register
| 5.29.22
Do You Know the Meaning of Memorial Day?
How do you commemorate Memorial Day?
What's the meaning of Memorial Day?
- For many, the Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer — a time for corporate America to mark down its wares, a time to enjoy the improving weather with beers, BBQs, and a three-day weekend.
- The holiday’s true purpose is to honor the service of U.S. military personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty to ensure that Americans have the freedom to do things like enjoying a three-day weekend, which is why some servicemembers and veterans object to the phrase “Happy Memorial Day.” That purpose distinguishes Memorial Day from Veterans Day, which honors former servicemembers, and Armed Forces Day, which recognizes the ongoing service of those in the military today.
- The first observances of what would eventually become known as Memorial Day began the year after the Civil War ended in 1866 when a number of communities gathered together to decorate the graves of local soldiers who were killed in the conflict.
- Where the holiday officially began has been a matter of debate, as around 25 of those communities — including some in Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania — have claimed to be its birthplace. Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared in 1966 that Waterloo, New York had been the true birthplace a century earlier, when the town’s businesses all closed for the day and flags were flown at half-staff.
- The first large-scale observance of the holiday (known back then as Decoration Day) happened on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery. There, two former Union generals — John Logan and James Garfield (who later became president) — gave a speech to 5,000 participants before the crowd decorated over 20,000 graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers buried there:
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and virtue.” — James Garfield May 30, 1868 Arlington National Cemetery
- After the conclusion of World War I, Decoration Day was broadened to honor not just those killed in the Civil War, but fallen soldiers from all conflicts.
- The term “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882 and became more widely used following World War II, but didn’t become the holiday’s official name until 1967. The following year, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holidays Act which moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the final Monday in May, allowing for a convenient three-day weekend.
How many American servicemembers have died in the line of duty?
- The Civil War is still the deadliest conflict in U.S. history, accounting for about 750,000 of the more than 1,354,664 Americans who’ve died in the service of their country since the Revolutionary War.
- This USAFacts chart shows the 620,000 deaths that occurred in wars and military operations over the last 120 years and the breakdown of deaths from hostile action in combat and non-combat deaths from accidents and injuries:
- The deadliest conflict since the turn of the 20th century is World War II, in which 405,000 servicemembers died and over 291,000 were killed in combat.
- There have been over 7,000 U.S. military deaths in the 21st century during the Global War on Terror, which began following the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. Most of those deaths occurred during military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- This USAFacts chart shows U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom (October 2001 to December 2014) and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (January 2015 to August 2021); and in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom (March 2003 to 2010), Operation New Dawn (September 2010 to December 2011), and Operation Inherent Resolve (June 2014 to present):
- Most of the U.S. military deaths have been among servicemembers younger than 30, who accounted for more than three-quarters of all deaths during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and about two-thirds of all deaths in Operation Iraqi Freedom. This USAFacts chart shows the age ranges of the American servicemembers killed in those two operations:
- The relative youth of the servicemembers in America's military was on display after the tragic suicide bombing at Kabul Airport during the U.S.-led coalition's withdrawal from Afghanistan. All 13 of the Americans killed in the Kabul attack were younger than 32 years of age, and all but two were younger than 24.
— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser via Arlington National Cemetery Flickr / Public Domain)
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The more critical question is
Do you know what they gave their ultimate sacrifice for?
no matter what your leanings we all thrive under one paramount constitution
They defended this constitution and therefore your way of life and freedoms
Now listen to a fellow republican carefully here. If any of you still think that perpetrators behind Jan 6 were patriotic tourists having fun at a park then you don't deserve this constitution or country and that goes for you too clarence & jenny!
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/06/02/january-6-forensic-data-meadows-text-messages-denver-riggleman-sot-ac360-vpx.cnn
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
List of armed conflicts involving the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_armed_conflicts_involving_the_United_States?
Incredible!
While I enjoy having the holiday to celebrate, since for many of us it's the first holiday we get off after January 1 (our country is stupid about holidays), I do wish we could be a little better at honoring what the holiday is actually about instead of just partying or shopping big retail sales.
I wish retailers and employers would honor Memorial Day more by focusing on the dead who served our country instead of the profits they intend to reap. I'm not sure there's much we as people can do about it other than resist sales try to stay home or visit the cemeteries or tell stories about our veterans.
I appreciate all who lost their lives in sacrifice for our country.
the idea that primitive man once found honor in sacrificing for a nation state is understandable. The idea that people still do is shocking - at least to me.
They cannot be enlightened.
They will not 'learn'.
Refusal to evolve guarantees extinction.
For violent fascists and their heroes, the sooner the better.
Waiting on the verdict in the Depp/Heard trial. I hope that justice prevails and Depp wins his lawsuit. This case shows why you must never JUST believe the woman. It also shows that men too can be victims of DV. It is also not a very smart move on the movie industry to immediately cancel someone based on allegations alone. Or to cancel anyone based on allegations alone. We have completely lost the notion of "innocent until proven guilty" and it has cost so many people their livelihoods.For those who do this to other people, it is a game of which they have no shame. Only if it happens to them, do they see how devastating this is.
This is the day when we should take a moment to consider the unique American precepts and ideals that has truly made our country great, the unmitigated honor of our service people who have given their live’s in support of their oath to protect the rest of us, and the duty that we all have to honor their sacrifice by protecting the common good of all the people and to live up to the American ideals for which they died to protect.
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2022/5/30/2101275/-A-Nation-Cowering-in-Fear-of-Mass-Shootings-Is-Not-Free
I survived, but I think of those that didn't. This is their day of recognition. Dying for this country should be a great honor, but to many have no idea how much of a sacrifice was made. They have their camp outs, their picnics, their BBQs, not even thinking about those who did not come home or came home in an aluminum box. HOORAH!!! To all those that deserve our respect. The rest of us have Armed Forces Day, Veterans Day.
Memorial Day for me has been remembering my father and uncles who fought in WWII, each in a different theater of war but all fortunate to return and tell their stories.
When they were alive we would watch their favorite war movie at our picnics and they recounted their stories, and read histories of the battles as they told me they never knew what was happening outside their own operations for security reasons.
Now they are all gone so I also spend time with the family photos for the next generation to remember dad and uncles in WWII, Grandfathers in WWI, and Great-Great Grandfathers in the Civil War that my Grandmother use to tell us about.
I do have 1 relative that fought in the revolutionary war but unfortunately none of the oral history has survived.
This is the history of our nation, and of our families that needs to be remembered and considered when creating new legislation as it's what our ancestors fought for and many died, were wounded or carried the psychological scars from what they saw and did to preserve home, family & country.
Projection is a favored tool of fascists. Crying victim, when called out, is typical.
Once again:
Eliminationism threatens to extinguish all *others*. American fascist scumbags project their vile garbage in failed attempts to deflect and distract.
Their ideas, words and policies must go extinct because they are exterminating Democracy every day. That is their goal.
You're welcome.
#GoExtinct
#GunsOverPeople
#RepublicanNazis
#PartyOfPutin
Ideas, symbols, verbiage, policies and the PARTY must 'go extinict'.
IOW, evolve, scumbags. You get to CHOOSE.
Since it appears to be okay with @causes to wish death on people, maybe they won't mind my frankness.
Some of the people on this site are flat out psychopaths that need immediate mental health help. So disfunctional in thought and reason, that I wonder if they may be a danger, like so many that have committed atrocious acts of violence against their make believe enemies that also happen to be their fellow citizens.
Maybe we had just as many mental cases before and just now see the how many there are now due to social media. They can't seem to comprehend why there is so much violence, while at the same time, calling their fellow citizens Nazis, fascist, white supremacist, insurrectionist, traitors, and wishing them all death and extinction. Gee, it certainly sounds like a gun problem doesn't it?
Many still believe that Trump has ties to Russia, completely ignoring their own parties multiple investigations that prove otherwise and the recent revelations that Hillary Clinton made it all up. They are too far into their hatred to backtrack now. But now, it isn't just a hatred for Trump, but for everyone that disagrees with them. They claim that ANTIFA is not real and they have never committed violence on behalf of their psychopathic beliefs. They deny that they were scammed by BLM and excuse their violence for social justice.
I no longer intend to entertain these people. They are so far mentally gone, it is a sad. I am just concerned that their hatred will get more innocent people killed. This was the intent of the Democrats to begin with. Brain wash their supporters, and create hatred and division to destroy this country. It seems to be working. They no longer see their fellow Americans as human beings. We are just their fictional mortal enemies.
Thank you for this, Obama, Hillary, big tech, MSM, and all of the RINOS in our own Party, like Mitch McConnell.
Who's funding the rise of American Nazism in the very-receptive-and-bigoted Republican party?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/5/30/2099575/-CPAC-is-boosting-the-antisemitic-Hungarian-right-Who-s-paying-them-to-do-it
"Union graves at Arlington are laid out in straight rows, while the Confederate section is formed in concentric circles. The gravestones face inward, their backs turned on the Union graves."
Because they turned their backs on the union, the backs of their headstones are also 'turned', against all the Union members' graves, which are laid out in rows.
Backs turned, for eternity.
TRAITORS forever.
#GoExtinct
#RepublicanConfederacy
https://currentpub.com/2021/09/08/the-traitors-we-honor-in-arlington/
https://currentpub.com/2021/09/08/the-traitors-we-honor-in-arlington/
The thought of one giving their life so that others may live in freedom is overwhelming.
With reverence for those who gave everything so that we continue to have the freedom of speech, worship and mobility throughout this great country. Whenever possible I visit the cemetary and remember my father who served in the Pacific theater of WWII and while he survived 18 months of intense combat missions those experiences would contribute to a shortened life on earth. I wish that progressives possessed the ability to fully consider the true meaning of the day when they rundown our country. Unfortunately, they are not rational people but rather by definition narcissistic cultists that disparage the sacrifice of all who served and died for their current comfort, freedom and agenda. God Bless America.
Do You Know the Meaning of Memorial Day?
Yes, and I know how words work too.
How do you commemorate Memorial Day?
I always put the flag out in remembrance and think of family members who have served (and passed).