This is Memorial Day in the United States.
This is the day every year on which Americans are called on the remember the men and women who have died in the military service to our country. It dates back to 1868. After the Civil War, the 30th day of May was set aside as “Decoration Day” on which the graves of those soldiers who had given their lives for their country were to be decorated with flowers.
For decades it was called Decoration Day. Unfortunately, since it was begun as a day to remember those who had been killed in the military service of the United States, some in The South selected a different day in May to honor those who had died fighting for the Confederate States in the Civil War.
I can remember older people even in the 1960s who still marked Confederate Memorial Day. I’m glad we have gotten beyond that, or at least I hope and think we have.
Even after World War I, the day was specifically to remember those who died in the Civil War. After World War II, though, it was decided that it should be a day to honor the sacrifice made by all who had died in the military service, no matter the war or circumstances of their death during service.
Congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971 and it designated that Memorial Day will be observed on the last Monday in May.
In 1915, Moina Michael was inspired by the poem “In Flanders Field” to write the following: “We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led. It seems to signal to the skies that blood of heroes never dies.”
She then had the idea that we should wear red poppies on Memorial Day to honor those who died in the service. She sold them on her own and gave the money she made to benefit veterans in need. The custom was admired by a Madam Guerin of France, and she initiated the practice there to raise money for the children orphaned and the women widowed by war. The practice spread across many countries.
In 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization became the first organization to sell the poppies across the US. IN 1924, disabled veterans started making the artificial poppies for the VFW members and their auxiliary members to sell.
So, if you see them selling poppies outside a supermarket, a shopping mall, or elsewhere today, stop and buy a poppy and wear it today to remind yourself and those who see you what this holiday is all about.
Until my next blog post
I hope you have a good book to read.
Spend time with friends and family for you and they won’t be here forever.
Remember the people of Ukraine, western North Carolina, and the flooding victims in New South Wales, Australia, and in southern France. No part of the world is immune to war or extreme weather
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
❤️🙏🇺🇸❤️🙏🇺🇸
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I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Janet! Especially in these times, it is important to remember and honour those who really sacrificed it all for the security of the nation.
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My family has always honored the poppy tradition.
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Thousand Year Reich lasted 12 years. We are in year 9 of the Trumpery era.
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Thank you, Francis. Absolutely!
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Can we outlast him? Did you see his early morning rant in all caps? He later took it down. He’s still on a high from being in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
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Qatar hae been trying to sell that aging, expensive plane for years. They saw an opportunity to score points by giving it away to some stable genius who will get his own government to spend the millions to upgrade it and keep it flying. Ego thy name is Fool.
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Exactly! And the average American can’t be bothered to pay attention or try to see what he’s doing/done. That old plane. He saw it and just had to have it. How can it make sense to any American that we pay $1 billion to rebuild it and then he takes it with him if and when he leaves the White House? Oh… I remember…. “but he’s not accepting a salary.” That makes it all right. I suppose our country had already turned. He was just the first one to capitalize on the demise I didn’t fully recognize. It’s sort of a chicken and the egg puzzle.
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He and his family are ripping the country off and making scads more money than whatever his Presidential salary would be. He made more than that just on a week’s trip to three countries in the Middle East.
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Belgium, too, marked Memorial Day with ceremonies at American cemeteries such as Flanders Field. Schoolchildren sang the U S national anthem, and there were speeches and floral tributes. Smaller commemorations were held at isolated graves as well. A visit to Flanders Field, with its countless white crosses, drives home the war’s staggering cost; the endless rows leave you silent, humble, and sorrowful. Military graveyards all over Flanders bear witness to the immense sacrifice of so many young lives and to the deep scars the war left behind.
Generations after the conflict, Belgians remain grateful for the liberation and the sacrifice of American soldiers. The graves are meticulously maintained, and every ceremony is infused with genuine reverence. Many Belgians carry this history in their family stories—liberation often arrived alongside young American troops. Here, Memorial Day is not a formal obligation but a heartfelt moment of respect and shared remembrance.
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I know, but the Repubs like to remind us that he’s working for us for free.
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Ashame that they feel the need to dumber than they really need to be.
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My pleasure Janet!
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I wish I could visit Flanders Field, especially on Memorial Day. I am truly touched that even the children in Belgium today are being reminded of the war’s history. Some years ago I had the privilege of interviewing a US Army veteran who served in Europe. After the war ended, he said some of the soldiers were able to stop for a few minutes at Flanders Field. Seventy years later he still teared up remembering the experience of seeing so many graves. Since the World Wars never touched US soil other than Pearl Harbor, I’m afraid Memorial Day is turning into just another three-day weekend holiday for most Americans. Unless they have lost a loved one in a war, they don’t give it much thought. A lot of Americans don’t seem to grasp the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. They insist on honoring all veterans on Memorial Day, but that’s not what it is set aside for. Retailers advertise Memorial Day Sales, which in my opinion is a degradation of the day and what it represents. It should never be a day to go shopping, looking for bargains. It also should not be a day for a US President to take jabs at Joe Biden on social media and in his speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Trump’s very presence in a military cemetery is completely inappropriate after he called them losers and once asked, “What was in it for them?” He has zero understanding of patriotism, bravery, or sacrifice.
Thank you for so eloquently sharing with me how Memorial Day is marked in Belgium. That means a lot to me.
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I really appreciated your blog on the history of Memorial Day. Thanks very much for sharing, Janet!
Jim Gilmer
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Thank you for letting me know, Jim.
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