It should not, however, cause one to think of American flags on graves in a cemetery or the playing of "Taps" or the firing of a 21-gun salute.
Memorial Day is not a holiday, yet thanks to members of Congress looking for a long weekend, it was moved from May 31 to the lasy Monday in May
Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country and some think it is a day for honoring veterans.
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."
The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day.
As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
Thankfully, Bogalusa and Washington Parish have not forgotten. No, there won't nearly be enough people at Ponemah Cemetery at 6 p.m. Monday, but those present will know why they are there and they understand the significance of the solemn observance.
When Hon. John Gallaspy recites "In Flanders Fields" there will be those who know and understand ... who form a mental picture of a poppy and a battlefield grave of rifle stuck in ground with helmet resting on the bayonet.
And when those haunting strains of "Taps" reach across the gardens of stone that make up Ponemah, others will feel their eyes grow damp as tears well up at the thought of a loved one who went away, never to return and there are the shudders that simply can't be willed away when the rifles sound in 21-gun salute, their retort bouncing off the pines.
I suppose it's hard for something so somber to compete with the start of summer ... hamburgers and hot dogs and a trip to the river or the beach ... and it should have never been placed in such a position.
But rather than bemoan that fact, let's be thankful for those who served so that those who may never understand what Memorial Day is all about will have the opportunity to do their thing ... because had they not given their all, we might not have the opportunity to gather in their honor.
Hooah ... hoorah ... huzzah ... Semper Fi ... and God bless.
(The segment on the creation of the three-day weekend around Memorial Day was taken from http://www.usmemorialday.org)
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