Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
Memorial Day
May 22, 2007
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

On May 5th, 1868, just after the end of the Civil War, General John Logan, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the National Republic, declared that May 30th should be "designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country ". He said: "Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.". The tradition became known as Decoration Day and continued throughout the years, and throughout other wars. The name "Memorial Day" became more common after World War II. Although many states observed Memorial Day in their own way, it was in 1971, that the federal goverment officially declared the last Monday of May to be Memorial Day.

Often, when enjoying our day off from school and work, and having our BBQs, hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato chips, we forget the true meaning of Memorial Day, and forget the fact that since the Revolutionary War, well over a million men and women have died, in defense of our country and our freedom. When I was researching some facts to write this minute, I discovered that there is a pending Bill in the Senate to move Memorial Day back to May 30th, instead of the last Monday in May. There are a considerable number of people who believe that the National Holiday Act of 1971 incorrectly lumped Memorial Day, a day of mourning, into other holidays, just to make convenient three day weekends. One person said: "If it is considered a holiday, why is it so? I consider it to be a national day of mourning. Because of what that day represents the rest of the days of the year are our holidays."

Senator Inouye of Hawaii, who introduced the bill to the Senate, said ".. in our effort to accommodate many Americans by making the last Monday in May, Memorial Day, we have lost sight of the significance of this day to our nation. Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in combat, many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer."

I think there is a lot truth to that, but the Boy Scouts have not forgotten. In Fredericksburg Virginia, on the Saturday before Memorial Day, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle on each of the 15,300 grave sites at the National Military Park. In St. Louis, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts place flags at each of the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn.

So if someone asks you what Memorial Day is really all about, hopefully now you'll know a little more than just the fact that it is a day off from school.

Thanks for listening.