This weekend there won't be a podcast episode, but I thought I'd go ahead and give you all a blog post.
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| A 92-year-old WW1 veteran stands to observe two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day at a memorial site in the village of Alrewas in the British Midlands. |
As I'm sure you all know, it is Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. Most are kicking off their summer activities with BBQs, drinking alcohol, and spending time at the beach. But what America established this holiday for are those in uniform who gave their lives in the name of protecting freedom.
Let's put politics aside for a moment, and remember the lives lost. Despite agreeing with the cause or not, there is a lot of bravery required to do such a thing, and many of us have lost those we care about in this manner.
On that note, I'd like to share some history regarding this holiday.
Memorial Day was established in 1868, after the American Civil War was over. It was originally called "Decoration Day", as the nation would decorate the graves of war heroes with flowers, said to be started by women in the South. At this point, the Unions and Confederates would celebrate it on different days, but eventually they merge the days to be celebrated on the same day, which originally was the 5th of May. In 1868, Memorial day was first observed on the last Monday of May, and included all Americans who died while serving in the Military (not just those who participated in the Civil War). After this merge, most Southerners were reluctant to acknowledge this day, until after WW1.
The following states have an additional holiday to celebrate the fallen of the Confederate Army: Texas, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee
Memorial Day was first celebrated primarily by former slaves out of Charleston, SC:
"By the spring of 1865, after a long siege and prolonged bombardment, the beautiful port city of Charleston, S.C., lay in ruin and occupied by Union troops. Among the first soldiers to enter and march up Meeting Street singing liberation songs was the 21st United States Colored Infantry; their commander accepted the city’s official surrender.
Whites had largely abandoned the city, but thousands of blacks, mostly former slaves, had remained, and they conducted a series of commemorations to declare their sense of the meaning of the war."
Source
Below you'll find an infographic about Memorial Day thanks to our friends at the Federal Census Bureau:
Source
This man interviewed his grandfather, Thomas Driver, for Memorial Day. His grandfather fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Here you can view the interview:
Sorry this post isn't full of ha-ha jokes. Don't worry, the next one will be. And we'll have another podcast episode soon!
I hope you all are enjoying beautiful weather while indulging on delicious hotdogs and some ice cold beers. Have a good time! But don't forget why we have this day and what it's all about.
Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!
If you have any stories you'd like to share about Memorial Day, please do! Comment on this blog, post on our Facebook Page, or send us a tweet on Twitter. We would love to hear your stories!
More Links:
The First Memorial Day
15 Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day
