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Originally posted by scpd3045:
Prayers out for the soul of Dave Malone and to strength for his family. Thankyou for making this world a better place.

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Originally posted by DaveBarker:
In my years active in Memorial Day, I served as a VFW Post Commander 4 times in presentation at two Franklin County cemetaries, then I moved south to Portsmouth Ohio. Also over that period, it was 22 years as a part of the Memorial Day presentation as a VFW officer, using General John Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic edict and ritual adopted by the VFW.
Here is a history:
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. It is now honored in nearly every State on the last Monday in May as passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 Public Law 90-363 creating a three day weekend for Federal holidays.
In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.
Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Most Americans have forgotten the meaning of Memorial Day. Many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are ignored. There are communities that hold Memorial Day parades, most have not held a parade in decades. Aparrently most people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.
To remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."
The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
But what is needed to return the solemn spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. The VFW clearly stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.
To date, there has been no further developments on the bill.

Ironton Ohio has held the Memorial Day parade every year since May 30th 1868!