Motivation Mondays: Remember to Honor Memorial Day
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (nation).” John 15:13
Memorial Day: Honor & Remember
Honoring Memorial Day: On Monday, May 25th, we honor the brave men and women who served this great country and paid the ultimate price by giving up their lives so we can live free.
We honor and remember those who returned as survivors, witnesses, patriots, scarred.
We honor all our servicemen/women around the world. Originally called Decoration Day, this special holiday began in response to the great loss of life during the American Civil War, which, at its conclusion in 1865, had claimed the lives of over 620,000 men.
In the early days, women would place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers. By 1868, Major General John A. Logan designated it as an official day of remembrance. In 1971, it became a federal holiday.
In case you don’t know this, Memorial Day honors American servicemen/women who lost their lives at war, while Veterans Day honors all who served, alive and otherwise.
I hope that as we grill, picnic, or enjoy being with family and friends today, we take a moment to remember why we honor Memorial Day.
Each casualty of war or MIA leaves behind loved ones, family members, and memories of what could have been.
How do we ever forget the pain and suffering inflicted on both victor and vanquished?
While one side might claim victory, the loss of life and the deepening resentments that come from warring create animosity and a spirit of revenge.
War is devastating, and its scars are indelible. So, when we raise our hands in salute to our heroes, let us also raise them in a gesture of peace.
In Flanders Fields By John McCrae – 1872-1918
In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. via poets.org
Decoration Day By Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
Sleep, comrades, sleep and rest
On this Field of the Grounded Arms,
Where foes no more molest,
Nor sentry’s shot alarms!
Ye have slept on the ground before,
And started to your feet
At the cannon’s sudden roar,
Or the drum’s redoubling beat.
But in this camp of Death
No sound your slumber breaks;
Here is no fevered breath,
No wound that bleeds and aches.
All is repose and peace,
Untrampled lies the sod;
The shouts of battle cease,
It is the Truce of God!
Rest, comrades, rest, and sleep!
The thoughts of men shall be
As sentinels to keep
Your rest from danger free.
Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours. via hwlongfellow.org
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“Memorial Day this year is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Services make to defend our way of life.” Robin Hayes
Memorial Day: Honor & Remember
What is Memorial Day? In brief, it is a day dedicated to the remembrance of our service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this great nation. It is a celebration to honor the lives lost at war, and veterans who returned home from war carried the memories of comrades lost in battles at home and places far flung. The unofficial version finds its origins in a commemoration held by freed African Americans in the spring of 1865, and how that led to what we now celebrate. However, the official observance of Memorial Day dates back to May 5, 1868, when Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, as head of the Union veterans, declared that the graves of fallen soldiers should be decorated, every May 30, with flowers in honor of their sacrifice. The recommendation at the time was specific to that war and eventually expanded to include all wars in America and all wars Americans fought around the world. Today, we celebrate it for the fallen, their families, surviving veterans, and those who were/are POW/MIA.
What about Decoration Day? Because the original directive from Gen. Logan was to decorate the graves of the fallen with flowers, the observance was called Decoration Day. Over the years, Memorial Day gradually caught on; first in 1966, when Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day, and then, in 1971, when Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress. In December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed a remembrance bill, and President Clinton signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579. The idea behind the Moment of Remembrance came from No Greater Love founder, Carmella LaSpada, who wanted us all to stop whatever we were doing at 3 pm and spend a minute of reflection and gratitude for those who died at war. Carmella saw it as a way to help us make the memorial part of this special day. I concur.
“And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” Joseph Drake
Memorial Day: Honor & Remember
In the midst of war, there are always pockets of hope. This hope keeps survivors fighting to stay alive. Hope comes in many forms: through God’s miraculous moments, the kindness of people, and opportunities to heal. Hope comes in the form of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, TAPS, which was created in 1994 by Bonnie Carroll after the tragic death of her husband, Brig. Gen Tom Carroll was in a plane crash.
TAPS offers a variety of resources to the loved ones/family of military staff. They provide comprehensive care, including peer-based emotional support, casework assistance, crisis intervention, and grief and trauma resources. To date, they have helped over 25,000 people and provided help, hope, and healing to families who have lost a loved one. Their toll-free hotline is: 1-800-509-TAPS (8277).
For those battling depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and/or feeling suicidal, both Hopeline and AFSP, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, provide great resources and immediate help to everyone, including veterans and their families. HopeLine was started in 1998 by Reese Butler after the death of his wife, Kristin, by suicide. His goal has remained “to offer HOPE and the option to LIVE to those in the deepest emotional pain.”
AFSP, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, has been involved in several suicide prevention initiatives and provides groundbreaking research, educational campaigns, innovative demonstration projects, and important policy work. It advocates for policies and legislation at all levels of government to bring awareness and change to the subject of suicide prevention.
AFSP works in tandem with SPRC, The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), which provides prevention support, training, and resources to help organizations and individuals develop their own suicide prevention programs. The goal is to develop and evaluate centers and programs to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (NSSP). Another terrific group offering hope is PEACE DIRECT, a nonprofit that develops projects for change, healing, and the pursuit of peace by encouraging active participation to build local communities and restore personal dignity for people globally.
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“On Memorial Day, I don’t want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live.” Eric Burdon
Memorial Day: Honor & Remember
As a survivor of the terrible 3-year Biafran war, I loathe war. While we will be remiss if we do not honor the courageous acts of our loved ones who fought and lost at war, we must not dismiss but also honor the spirits of those innocent bystanders, mothers, children, sons, and lovers, whose lives were sacrificed in the ensuing violence. Each life lost becomes a testament to the list of unresolved issues that led each nation to war.
The aftermath of war includes depression, a renewed sense of loss, disorientation, dislocation, permanent debilitating wounds, nightmares, and, for many, indelible scars that lie under the surface of the skin waiting to break through like a pus-filled sore on a hot summer day. War is never pretty, even for all the glorified versions we get from Hollywood directors. War is ugly and maims the living as much as it does the dead.
I want this Memorial Day to be one of deep reflection for all of us, whether we buy into the notion/theory that war is not the answer or that a warring nation is a safe nation. Whichever school you subscribe to is irrelevant to me. It will not erase my childhood memories: the sound of whistling bombs flying by, aimed at their targets. It will not bring back the dead; the smell of burning flesh; massive destruction everywhere.
I am not here to judge but to heal. I want to remember the innocent children caught in the crossfire, permanently seared by bomber fuel and left for dead in collapsed buildings. I want to remember the mothers bereft of their husbands, fathers, sons, left to watch their children slowly starve to death as birds of prey linger nearby waiting to devour their remains.
I want to remember the innocence of young men and women who left for war whole and returned ravaged by the horror they saw; the horror they experienced, and the horror inflicted on the enemy. I want to remember families left behind, holding pictures of loved ones, nursing broken hearts; the living dead. I want to remember every painful, poignant detail so I will never forget that the spoils of war are hollow; for the victor and the vanquished have both lost their heads. Let us remember, as we honor all the great souls who have paid the ultimate sacrifice at war, that war is not the answer to peace.
Positive Motivation Tip: We must forever honor and remember all the great souls who lost their lives so we can live free.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos, Memorial Day via Pixabay, AND/OR Memorial Day via Wikipedia…
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
