Angie Craig: “on Monday, many of us will be about the land, speaking to veterans on Memorial Day. Throughout this Nation's history and…”

“on Monday, many of us will be about the land, speaking to veterans on Memorial Day. Throughout this Nation's history and throughout the world's history valiant soldiers have struggled, distinguished themselves, advanced their cause, and fallen in battle. Yet a Memorial Day commemorating America's brave heroes was a long time in coming. A national memorial occasion was observed for the first time in 1886. It began with the Grand Army of the Republic, the organization of Union Army veterans. They started, on a nationwide scale, what some southern women in several Dixie cities had been doing as a local spring ceremony--remembering the Civil War dead by placing flowers on their graves. Since then, all too many generations have confronted the savagery of war and added their own list to the role of the fallen heroes. What began as a memorial to casualties of one war is now our day to honor those from all of our wars. In the beginning, Memorial Day was more popularly known as Decoration Day. I grew up, as probably the President did, knowing it as Decoration Day. I remember my folks saying now we have to go to the graves and to the cemetery to honor our dead In our family on Decoration Day. It was observed by decorating the graves with flowers and flags. That tradition is still a strong one and many thousands of Americans will go to the graves of their loved ones and to veterans and veterans' graves and memorials on Monday to recognize our veterans.”