For some, there is NOTHING happy about Memorial Day.
For many, it is just one more holiday to go party, BBQ and hit the beach but for some Veterans, it is a day to Commemorate Our Fallen Brothers and Sisters, we do it every day, this day just happen to be a Holiday for them. So if you are thanking a living Veteran you are thanking the wrong person, for some of us feel like hell when someone says thank you on Memorial Day, because we are still here, because we failed somehow and we can still enjoy our families.....but the ones that departed no longer have that luxury. They died protecting our freedom, the same one that many people abuse and desecrate.
Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers.
During that first national commemoration, former Union Gen. and sitting Ohio Congressman James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.
This national event galvanized efforts to honor and remember fallen soldiers that began with local observances at burial grounds in several towns throughout the United States following the end of the Civil War, such as the May 1, 1865 gathering in Charleston, South Carolina organized by freed slaves to pay tribute and give proper burial to Union troops.
In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. By the late 1800s, many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states had declared it a legal holiday.
source
What is Memorial Day for me? Respectfully honoring the Fallen and their families, this is the chance for America to say Thank You to them for their sacrifice, but instead, partying 🎉is all they have in mind.
I don't blame them, our education system is failing us and values and patriotism are almost non existent in many households.
So to my fallen brothers and sisters, Thank you for the Ultimate Sacrifice, some of us will never forget what you have done for us and we will continue with your Legacy and defend and protect the ignorant and ungrateful Citizens (because I can't even call them Americans).
We will take care of your love ones left behind, they are in good hands.
God bless!
These photos and the newspaper clip are to honor my brother Joe C Smith, who died in Vietnam.
He was drafted at age 18, went to Vietnam and died (burned severely) 10 months after being drafted.
He was 19 when he died.
In Memorium
of all those who died
by
Jerry E Smith
©05/26/2022
All images are family photos
The newspaper clip was given
To my mother at the funeral
They would not allow us to
See his body, it was so badly burned.
