cj Sez: Because I
think this information is important and needs to be repeated often . . .
 |
| All sacrificed some; some sacrificed all. |
Q. What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial
Day?
A. Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. While
those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the
day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the
military - in wartime or peacetime. In fact, 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 and
done their duty.
Memorial
Day is a day for remembering and honoring 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.
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. (In this era of
intolerance and cries to erase visible traces of our sad history, the memorials respecting
Confederate soldiers who died fighting for what they believed in may not
continue 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. Janie told
me it had been a repost and gave me permission to use it here. Please take a
minute to read it all the way through.
“Just a reminder of
what we celebrate next 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 for next weekend:
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 an awesome debt--one that I can never repay--to the heroes who died so that my family and I can live in freedom. I pray God’s blessings
and comfort rain down on their families.
