My grandfather used to call Memorial Day, Decoration Day. It was the day they would go to the cemetery and decorate the graves of the service men and other family members. So I thought I would wish everyone out there a happy Decoration Day and hop that you took some time out today to remember the reason you had off work today.
Someone on Twitter sent me a link to an interesting article on Memorial Day/Decoration Day (they say Decoration Day was a southern thing, but my grandfather was a PA Dutchman through and through). The article, Memorial Day bivouac of the dead: hallowed, haunted Gettysburg, was written by MaryEllen O’Brien and has a more spiritual angle than military.
I just watched a really good program on PBS called Hallowed Ground. It is all about the US cemeteries through out Europe that mark the finally resting places of 40% of the men and women who fought for freedom in WWI and WWII.
I did not know so many cemeteries were over there. It would make a very interesting group tour sometime.
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