Memorial Day

As we enjoy the long weekend, the bar-b-ques and the start of summer please reflect of the meaning of this day.


Scott 969 honoring the mothers of deceased member of the armed forces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu_D7A3-8dE

and those that helped bring us this United States



scott #619 honoring the all the minutemen but especially those at Concord and Lexington

Amen...

I'd like to express my appreciation to all who have served in our armed forces past and present.

Thank You!

Dave N.
USAF (retired)
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Nice frame, Tomisek!

Nice set of stamps and yes,we remember!

I don't know about all of you but I was surprised to learn that the U.S. didn't begin to commemorate the wars and battles it had fought until the World War I Victory issue on March 3, 1919.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5/5/1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. It is believed that it was started in several towns around the same time. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War, honoring their dead. The day is to honor those who died serving their country.

Armistice Day was established as a holiday on 11/11/1938 honoring all veterans of all American forces. In 1954 it was changed to Veteran's Day.

Armed Forces Day is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States' armed forces and is celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of May.

These are the only 3 days in the U.S. honoring those who served.

If you see any veterans today, thank them for their service.

If you are a veteran, thank you for your service.




(For our international friends, today is Memorial Day in the U.S., a Federal holiday.)

How can I forget the parade of my uncles who served in WW2? When they came back nothing fazed them..they worked 2 1/2 jobs a week..its different today !!

I thank all the veterans for their service to our country. Let's not forget the war dogs.

Why doesn't the US issue Memorial Day stamps, commemorating our veterans? Would it kill them to issue a stamp once a year to honor the people that go off risk their lives for the US?

From one of my early posts:

Today, Memorial Day, I honor all of my fallen brothers and sisters, not only from the United States, but from every country, who committed themselves to the preservation of their belief and the freedom and safety of others.
 I especially honor those who I served with during the Viet Nam conflict and my permanent Air Force buddies. There is a special place in my heart for those whose friendship was ended way too soon. May you forever rest in piece.

Russ, you selected a most fitting stamp to start this topic - honoring the gold star mothers. We tend to forget those we leave behind, the mother who nurtured the child, the daughter who writes a letter to daddy describing her high school graduation and then leaves it on his grave, all of whom are in a supportive role.
And I do give thanks to the postal services who issue stamps in recognition of our military!

artlaunier...Veterans Day and Memorial Day (Decoration Day) are two seperate days! Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be "filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory". There were plans for parades, public meetings and a brief suspension of business activities at 11am.

In 1926, the United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and declared that the anniversary of the armistice should be commemorated with prayer and thanksgiving. The Congress also requested that the president should "issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples."

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) was approved on May 13, 1938, which made November 11 in each year a legal holiday, known as Armistice Day. This day was originally intended to honor veterans of World War I. A few years later, World War II required the largest mobilization of service men in the history of the United States and the American forces fought in Korea. In 1954, the veterans service organizations urged Congress to change the word "Armistice" to "Veterans". Congress approved this change and on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor all American veterans, where ever and whenever they had served.

In 1968 the Uniforms Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) made an attempt to move Veterans Day to the fourth Monday of October. The bill took effect in 1971. However, this caused a lot of confusion as many states disagreed with this decision and continued to hold Veterans Day activities on November 11. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which stated that Veterans Day would again be observed on November 11 from 1978 onwards. Veterans Day is still observed on November 11.