This Memorial Day, remember the real reason we celebrate.
Memorial Day is on Monday, May 31 this year. To say that we are eagerly anticipating the good old-fashioned get-togethers with friends and family that we’ve so desperately missed throughout the pandemic would be an understatement.
As you plan your “kick-off to summer” celebrations that will undoubtedly include backyard cookouts, swimming pools, and lots of catching up with those we haven’t seen in a while, be sure to include a moment to honor the people who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country and for whom this holiday was created: our fallen veterans.
Memorial Day – then and now
Memorial Day was started three years after the Civil War ended, as a way to remember the more than 620,000 people who died in what has been called the bloodiest conflict on U.S. soil. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, head of an organization of Union veterans, declared May 30, 1868 as Decoration Day – a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. It is believed that Logan chose that particular date because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. It wasn’t until after World War I that the observance widened in scope to include casualties from all American wars.
In 1971, Congress officially declared Memorial Day a national holiday and placed it on the last Monday in May where it remains today.
In 2010, Congress passed and President Clinton signed an act creating a National Moment of Remembrance which encourages people to stop whatever they are doing at 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day for a moment of silence in honor of fallen veterans.
A Family Company Proudly Full of Veterans
At IVC Technologies, some 35 percent of our employees are military veterans. The nature of the work we do has proven to be a great fit for the training received during years of military service. Their dedication to honor, loyalty, duty, and integrity have helped to create lifelong clients out of our customers.
So this weekend, take a moment to thank a veteran who has served or is still serving and during the 3:00 p.m. moment of silence on Memorial Day, say thank you to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Happy Memorial Day!