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At the end of last week’s legislative session, I walked off the House floor and down the Capitol steps with Congressman Jack Bergman, a retired three-star Marine Corps general and the highest-ranking military officer ever in Congress – and also a great American and a great guy.
As we walked, our conversation turned to the coming holiday weekend and the true meaning of Memorial Day. As I joined fellow citizens across Pennsylvania’s Ninth Congressional District in honoring and remembering our nation’s fallen heroes, I committed with greater resolve to reflect on the importance and true meaning of Memorial Day.
Honoring soldiers in springtime is a longstanding tradition in many cultures and began as a major observance in our own country after the Civil War. Beginning as “Decoration Day,” the end of May brought the opportunity to lay spring flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.
At the urging of General John Logan, the first widespread observance of Decoration Day occurred on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery and in communities around the country. Along with General Ulysses S. Grant, bereaved families laid flowers on the graves of their fallen loved ones.
May 30th was an intentional date for remembrance. Since no battle had been fought on that day, it could stand for remembrance alone. As more young men and women went to war during the 20th century, Decoration Day grew in significance around the country.
We owe our freedom to the ultimate sacrifice paid by 1.1 million servicemen and women and to countless others who faced battle alongside them and felt the pain of their absence. It is equally important on this solemn day to honor Gold Star families, prisoners of war, those missing in action and their families.
Memorial Day moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May, losing neither its significance nor importance. Surrounded by the abundance of freedom and opportunity each of us enjoys, there is all the more reason to honor and remember.
It is said that one dies two deaths; the first, when they breathe their last breath, and again when their name and their story cease to be spoken. As a grateful nation, it is our responsibility to remember their heroism and honor their sacrifice with a deepening of responsibility to neighbor and country.
In making new memories and forging our nation’s future, we should remember often and honor solemnly the sacrifice that provides the foundation of our national story. This May 30, on behalf of a humble nation, let us pause, remember, and say thank you.