Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Sad but true. I’ve heard Memorial Day referred to as the unofficial first day of summer. Many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. I’m not saying there should not be cookouts and fun but at the same there should be an understanding of what Memorial Day is really all about.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

Yes, many, many times. I have a great, great GF, a successful farmer from Ohio. He used his own money to fund the uniforms and weapons to lead volunteers as a Colonel in the Union Army. Many battles including the one where he was wounded and captured. He was held as a prisoner of war at the notorious Andersonville Camp in South Georgia. The Union was starving all of the South throughout the war. So, with little food for the people of the Confederacy, prisoners got even less. Somehow he lived until the end of the war and was released from Andersonville to return home to Ohio. He never fully recovered from the untreated wounds and malnourishment. But, he never complained about his service to his country.

And, my own grandfather served in the WWI, a 'doughboy' fighting the trench warfare of that time. He came home after breathing German "mustard gas" too many times. The cough, a lifetime remnant from the mustard gas, never went away. Beginning in my youth, almost all military that I have met are reluctant to talk about fighting in war time. But, he never complained about serving his country in the Great War.

My father served in WWII, as a fuselage gunner on a US Army Air Corps bomber. Of each squadron sent up, often less than half of the planes returned. I understand that bomber crews had to fly at least 12 missions to earn a rotation out of the war zone. - He said that bullets and explosive shrapnel from the ground flew through the bomber's unarmed shell as if it was a tin can. And he talked of all flight members being nervous when they were in the air. But, he never complained about serving his country. - After WWII, he worked as a civilian for the US Air Force, acquiring full aircraft systems until he retired.

I have the highest regard and respect for all who served and all who serve their country in war time. I regret the senseless wars our leaders have sometimes asked us all to participate in. But, our men and women still serve their country.

Today is a day to memorialize the active serving, the living and those who served and passed. You all have my respect and appreciation. Not just on this day.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Armistice Day to mark the end of, “The war to end all Wars”. But there have been so many subsequent wars that the name had to be changed to Memorial Day.

Canisdirus

No.

Armistice day was changed to Veterans Day.
Memorial day has always been Memorial day.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

And we honor prisoners of war who returned to serve our country in the Senate.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

You are right, I was wrong. Sorry.

Canisdirus

No worries...it does get confusing at times...

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

November 11 was originally Armistice Day - end of WWI. May 30 started out as Decoration Day - flags and flowers on graves of Civil War veterans.
Nowe, they’re all just an excuse to have a sale or cookout.

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

Wonderful. Also, thought provoking and accentuated by the memorial and its words.

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

“Armed Forces Day is for those still in uniform.
Veterans’ Day is for those who have hung up their uniform.
Memorial Day is for those who were killed in their uniform.”

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Actually as a Vietnam Veteran myself I think they would want us to be "Happy" on this day. Protecting our nation and people so we could be happy is one of the main reasons they served and risked/bet their lives in the first place. They lost that bet, I won it and came home but everyone else and those born since get that chance to be happy because of them and others over the years our nation has been around.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=anotherview]Changing the name of the day from "Veterans Day" to "Memorial Day" shifted the character and significance of the day to a generalization of its purpose, of honoring war dead...


It was "Decoration Day" and started in the South just after the Civil War to remember their soldiers. But that first year a women's group in Georgia decorated the graves of all soldiers Union and Confederate. Following the spread of the knowledge of this several places all over the country adapted the idea and a couple of years later it became a national day for all who died in service on both sides, then came to be for all who died in service at any time in our history. The Union General and leader of the "Grand Army of the Republic" (GAR-a Civil War Veterans group) who led the movement to make it national picked May 30 because it was not the anniversary of any major battle and therefore not associated with any side winning or losing. A judge in the North wrote a poem "The Blue and the Gray" which was often used as part of the services on the day and many veteran's groups, North and South, used the day and the poem to urge everyone to "bury the hatchet" and give up any hatred or hard feelings towards each other.
Over the years as it came to be a day to honor all war dead (esp. after WWI) people changed the name to Memorial Day and in 1971 a 1968 law went into effect making it a national holiday with the "Memorial Day" name.

Veterans Day is in November and started as "Armistice Day" in 1919 to mark the end of fighting in WWI at 11AM on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 (time zone of the "Western Front" which was mostly in France). It became a holiday celebrated on Nov 11 in the 20's and 30's with the approval of FDR except for 1971 to 1975 when it was the 4th Sunday of October as per the 1968 law about Federal Holidays then President Ford changed it back to Nov 11. President Eisenhower changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954.

Memorial Day honors all who died in service, Veterans Day honors all who served.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

I agree, there is nothing happy about the deaths of so many Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Your logic is too twisted and callous for me. Most did not “bet” voluntarily.

Curtis_Lowe Loc: Georgia

That more than 5 times is a totally misleading statistic, and if you don't know why then shame on you.